These Feelings Aren't Normal
by midwestgirl10
Summary: Same story as "Everything's Back to Normal," but from Walt's perspective. Set after the Season 3 finale. I own nothing; thanks to Craig Johnson for creating these characters.
1. Chapter 1

_**This will be the same story as "Everything's Back to Normal" but from Walt's perspective. There were a few times when writing that story that I wanted to show different conversations with Walt and other people and I couldn't do it from Vic's perspective. You'll get one chapter a day until it's done, it should finish right before Christmas! :) I appreciate all the love from the other story, so I hope you like seeing Walt's side just as much. Enjoy!**_

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><p>I'm sitting on my porch drinking a cup of coffee on a Monday morning. It's just starting to get light out.<p>

It's been about two months since Barlow died, two months since I found out that he was the one behind Martha's murder. I still don't really know what to say about all of that. But I've been trying to talk more about my feelings and what's going on in my head. Cady says I need to work on that.

I'm taking it day by day.

Branch is taking it day by day, too. I won't let him come back on duty yet. It was a mistake letting him come back so early last time, I understand that now and I won't make the same mistake twice. I disagree with Branch on almost everything, but I feel like I have to look out for him now. Barlow is gone and he has nobody. I'm making him see a therapist at the hospital twice a week, and he comes in every few days to cover dispatch for a while. He begged me to let him come in and do something, he said he was going stir crazy sitting at home. I think he's just lonely.

I know the feeling.

The year that passed after Martha died was a lonely year, even though I was surrounded by people who cared about me. It's not that I didn't know that people were worried, it's just that I couldn't bring myself to deal with it. I know that's not an excuse, but I dealt with her death the only way I knew how. I honored Martha's last wish by not telling our daughter what happened, even though I knew Cady would never fully agree with our decision. After finally spreading Martha's ashes, I was able to start moving on mentally. Though, I still can't pull myself to put any tea back in that box.

I'm not the only one's who's moving on in Absaroka County. Vic's husband left for his new job in Australia shortly after Barlow died. She still lives in their house. I overheard Ferg ask her once why she didn't just move into some place smaller, but she didn't really have an answer for him. Ferg may not get it, but I do. I understand not wanting to leave your home. Even though she and Sean didn't exactly end on good terms, she still has a history with him and to that house. I'm not sure I would leave if I were in her shoes either.

Vic doesn't talk about Sean anymore. She was pretty quiet at first after he left, but feisty Vic started to come back slowly. She jokes around like she used to, just not as often. I hope she's happy that she decided to stay here.

I still can't believe that I told her stay. I wanted her to stay, of course… I'm just not sure that it's okay for me to want her to stay.

I've been feeling like that a lot lately.


	2. Chapter 2

When I get into the office, Ruby and Ferg are both at their desks already, which is how it is most days.

"G'mornin' Sherriff!" Ferg is always so cheery in the morning.

"Hey, Ferg. good morning, Ruby." I wave a hand at her as I turn to head into my office.

My faithful friend smiles at me. "Good morning, Walter."

I settle in at my desk and I notice a post-it note that I wrote to myself last Friday. It's a reminder to talk to Vic about Branch coming back to work. He still has a ways to go before he can come back full time, but I want to make sure she's okay with being around him again. I'm sure she won't have a problem with it, but if I'm being honest, it makes me nervous. I know Vic can handle herself, but I still can't get the image of Branch throwing her up against that window out of my head.

I walk out and ask Ruby if I have any notes.

"Yes, I'll come read them to you in a minute."

"Thanks. On your way in will you leave one on Vic's desk for her to come see me once she's in please?" I tap a couple fingers on the corner of Vic's desk.

"Sure thing."

I head back into my office and Ruby comes in a minute later with my notes.

"Only a few things today, Walter."

"Okay, shoot."

She sits down in the chair and crosses her legs. "Branch's therapist called, he said you wanted a recommendation on when he should return to work. He wants you to call him back."

"Okay, I'll do that this morning."

"Okay," she flips to the next note. "James Martin called and said someone stole his dog, again."

I stare back at her, unconvinced. "That's the third time in the last 6 months."

"That's what I said."

I sigh. "Send Ferg out there to look around. Tell him to stop at the store first and buy a dog leash and give it to James. I'm sure the dog will wander home tomorrow, just like the last two times."

Ruby takes the pen from behind her ear and scribbles a note on the paper. "Ok, and the last one-"

There are two small knocks on the door before it opens. Vic's standing there with a coffee cup in one hand and a sticky note in the other.

"Hey, am I interrupting? I got your post-it." She waves the note in front of her.

"Oh, good morning, Vic. He's all yours, I was just going over Walter's notes for the day." Ruby stands to leave, but turns back to him before she reaches the door. "Don't forget about your lunch with Cady, 12:30."

I smile. I definitely would have forgotten if it weren't for the reminder.

I look back at my deputy who's eyeing me from the doorway. "Good morning, Vic."

"Hey," she replies nonchalantly.

For a moment, I forgot why I wanted to talk to her. I've been having trouble with that lately. Vic's presence sometimes makes it hard to think clearly. Lately, it's been happening more frequently. Even from across the room I'm entranced by her glistening golden eyes.

"Did you need something?" She interrupts my thoughts as she waves the post-it in the air again; she almost looks annoyed.

"Yeah, uhh have a seat." I shift in my chair, trying to decide where exactly to start. "I wanted to ask you something."

"Okayyyy." Her expression switches from annoyance to curiosity. "Shoot."

"How are you doing?"

She doesn't answer right away, but just stares back at me, her eyes squinting. "That's your question? You see me almost every day, Walt. You have to call me into your office to ask me how I'm doing?"

It's just a question; I'm trying to be nice and make small talk. Her defensiveness makes me nervous. "Well, I uh… I realized I never asked you how you felt, uhh, about me letting Branch slowly ease back into taking shifts here."

She looks surprised. "You're asking me how I feel about Branch?"

I nod.

"I'm fine."

I have to take my eyes off of hers for a few moments before I lose my train of thought again. I look out the window briefly before turning back to her. "Well, I just now how much he, uhh put you through, and I want to make sure you're comfortable working with him before I agree to let him come back, uhh, permanently."

"I'm fine, Walt. I'm not afraid of Branch." She seems a bit offended that I'm insinuating that she is.

"I never said you were afraid of him."

"Good, because I'm not." She states matter-of-factly.

I stare back at her, wondering why she feels the need to be so strong. I'd venture to bet that it has something to do with being the only female in a family of male cops.

"Ok then. I'll sign the papers so that he can come back to work full-time. I'll be keeping a close eye on him, to make sure he stays in line."

She looks uncomfortable, and she clears her throat as she shifts in her chair. "You don't have to do that, I can take care of myself."

There it is, again.

I try to smile. "Yeah, I think you've mentioned that before. Even so, it's my job to protect my deputies. Get used to it."

She gives me a weak smile back. "Is that all you wanted to talk about?"

"Uhh, yep. That was it."

"Ok."

She stands up to leave and I motion for her to leave the door open. I watch as she sways her hips from side to side as she walks back to her desk.

I shouldn't be staring at my deputy this way, but like I said, my eyes have a mind of their own lately.


	3. Chapter 3

I spend the rest of the morning trying to pass the time.

I already called Branch's therapist back; he told me that he doesn't think Branch is quite ready to come back yet. He thinks a few more weeks of therapy will do him a lot of good, so that's what he recommends. That conversation took a whole five minutes.

Without any calls coming in, there isn't much to do around here. The only call we've had today was about James Martin's "stolen" dog. Ferg came back from checking out the property and couldn't find anything to indicate that the dog was indeed stolen. James doesn't lock the dog up, so it runs away frequently, but he always does come back. James is a bit of a chatterbox, so I figure the dog just needs to get away every once in a while.

I get like that sometimes. I don't actually run away, but my mind tends to wander off.

Cady says I need to work on that, too.

Finally around lunch time, I get to take a break from my busy day to go meet the punk for lunch. At the same time I'm heading out into the main office, Vic is getting up from her chair.

"Where ya headed?'

"I'm starving," she says as she swings her coat over her shoulders. "I figured I'd head over to the Busy Bee and get some food."

"I'm about to meet Cady for lunch, why don't you join us?" I feel like we got off on the wrong foot this morning. Maybe being around Cady will cheer her up, it always works for me.

"Oh, no. I don't want to intrude on your lunch."

"What? You're not intruding on anything, Vic, it's just lunch. Cady was just asking me the other day how you were, come and you can tell her yourself."

She debates for a few seconds before giving in. "Ok, uhh sure, why not."

I grab my coat and hat from the coat rack and hold the door open to wait for Vic. Before I can stop it from coming, I feel a smile grow on my face as I hold the door open and wait for her to go ahead of me.

Cady beats us to the Red Pony, and is talking to Henry up at the bar when we stroll in. Cady smiles when she spots us.

"Hey, Vic! How are you?" Cady comes forward and gives Vic a light hug. "I haven't seen you in a few weeks. How are you holding up?"

"I'm good." She pauses. I'm assuming she knows Cady is referring to the divorce but she doesn't know what to say. "I'm ok, really. How are things with you? Did you get your old job back at the law firm?"

Deflecting a question with another question, that's my Vic.

Cady nods, "I did! It took a bit of convincing, though. After I disappeared for those few weeks a while back, they were hesitant to hire me back on. But after I told them about my success with Henry's case, they decided I was at least talented enough to give me another shot."

"That's good. Everything really is back to normal, huh?" Vic says as she turns makes eye contact with me to find that I was already watching her. She makes me feel far from normal.

She holds my gaze for another moment before turning to my best friend. "I'm starving, Henry, the usual?"

I peel my eyes off of Vic and turn to Henry, too. "Three usuals, Henry." Henry nods back, and we all make our way to a table to sit.

I ask Cady what's going on at work and that's all she needs for a story starter. She doesn't really need me for our conversations, and that's perfectly fine with me. I'm happy just listening. Henry brings our food out, and Cady barely pauses her story long enough to stop and chew. Eventually our conversation turns to the party here at the Red Pony this weekend.

Cady turns to Vic and asks if she's coming this weekend, but she has a blank stare on her face.

Instead of responding to the question, she reaches a hand over to me and wipes my face with her napkin.

I'm assuming I have ketchup on my face. "Oh, thanks," is all I can mutter as I wipe my face with my own napkin, hopefully getting the rest of it off.

Vic turns her attention back to Cady, "What were you saying?" I can see that she's blushing.

"Oh, I was just asking if you were coming to Henry's party here this weekend."

"I didn't know there was a party. What's it for?"

"Well, ever since the charges against Henry were dropped, he wants to celebrate once a month with everybody he cares about, just to make sure he doesn't take anything for granted. You have to come!"

"Ahhh, well…I'm sure I'm free this weekend. I don't have a husband to occupy my time anymore, so I'm free to party all I want!" This is the first time I've heard her act like she's happy to be divorced. Both Cady and I look back at her, unsure of how to respond to that.

I clear my throat start to gather up our empty food trays, "Well alright then." Getting up from my chair and turn towards my deputy, "We better get back to the office. Are you ready, Vic?"

"Yep, good to go."

I lean over towards Cady and give her a quick kiss on the cheek, "See ya later Punk, thanks for lunch."

She smiles. "Of course. And thanks for joining us, Vic. I better see you here this weekend."

"You bet. And we'll see about this weekend," Vic smiles at her quick before turning to me.

I wait for her at the door, and she smiles as she steps out in front of me.

On the ride back to the station, Vic seems to be in a better mood. I feel a little bit better myself. I tell myself that it's because of Cady, but I'm afraid that's not the case.


	4. Chapter 4

When I get to the Red Pony for Henry's party, I find that Cady has already beaten me there. She's up on stage doing karaoke with Ferg, and I can't help but laugh out loud at the sight of them. It's funny to watch Freg around Cady. I get the impression that he's sweet on her, but I don't think she has even the slightest idea.

I scan the crowd to see if Vic decided to come or not. Earlier at the office, I heard her tell Ferg she hadn't made up her mind yet. Since she's my deputy, I know I shouldn't care what she does in her personal life, but I think she's been a little lonely ever since the divorce. Being around people outside of work would probably do her some good. It's easy for me to see that now. I was in her shoes after Martha died; sure, it was a completely different situation, but I was abandoned just like she was. I convinced myself that I was handling her death fine and that I needed to be alone. It wasn't until Vic demanded my presence more at work that I started to snap out of it; maybe she just needs a little nudge like I did.

I find Henry up at the bar.

"Hello, Walt."

"Hey, Henry. Good turnout so far."

"Yes it is. I am a happy man. Beer?" He was already reaching for a Rainier out of the cooler before he asked if I wanted one.

I nod in thanks before taking a drink. Cady's voice screeches up on stage, making it hard to even tell what song she's 'singing.'

"I am glad she has other talents, she would not have made it in the entertainment industry."

I laugh, and cringe as she tries to belt out a high note. "I might have to agree with you on that one." I laugh again. "But she and Ferg sure are fun to watch."

He laughs and nods his head in agreement.

I head over to a table that's empty and take a seat. Cady and Ferg seem to be the only people in line to do karaoke, because they do about 3 more songs in a row. They're in the middle of singing 'I Love Rock n Roll' when I hear my deputy's voice behind me.

"Can I join you?"

I smile at the sight of her, which seems to be happening involuntarily lately. I stand up, inviting her to sit down at the table. She gives me that look people have when you act like a gentleman and they're not used to it. I'm well aware that Vic isn't really one for proper manners, but I can't help it. She looks like she wants to crack a joke at my gesture, but surprisingly she holds her tongue.

"You decided to come after all."

"Yeah, well, that daughter of yours is quite convincing. She's going to be one hell of a lawyer." She pauses briefly. "Besides, I wasn't doing much at home anyway."

"Well I'm glad you didn't have anything better to do tonight." It comes out more sarcastic than I intend.

"I didn't mean it like that. It's just, I don't know…. don't feel like I have much to celebrate these days, that's all."

I glance over at her, staring at her beautiful features. I want to tell her that it gets easier. I want her to know that she's better off without Sean, without someone holding her down and trying to control her. I want to tell her that I'm glad she decided to come.

I don't say any of this. Instead, I nod my head and take another sip of my beer.

The night goes on, and Cady and Ferg do many more rounds of karaoke. Vic has a few more beers and actually starts to look like she's enjoying herself. I've never really seen her let loose like this; it's kind of mesmerizing to see.

I watch her now and she's dancing out on the floor with Cady and Henry. I have to chuckle, the three of them dancing is quite the sight. She looks like she doesn't have a care in the world. I'm glad she's having fun; she's had one hell of a year.

The current song comes to and end and a slow country song comes on next. Henry excuses himself to head back behind the bar, and Cady pulls Ferg up to dance with her. Vic looks around for a moment and my heart skips a beat when her eyes fall on me. She barely hesitates before she marches right over to me and starts pulling on me.

"Vic, I'm really not much of a dancer."

She continues to pull on my arm. "Come on," she pleads until I give in.

When we get to the dance floor, both of us hesitate like we're 16 year old sweethearts at our first school dance. I take her hand in mine, and place the other awkwardly at her waist. She puts her hand on my shoulder and stares up at me silently.

At first I'm nervous about people seeing us dancing and what they'll think, but then I get lost in her golden brown eyes and forget that I was even nervous in the first place. When the song is about halfway over she turns her gaze from mine and rests her cheek on my chest. I can feel her heartbeat up against mine, and her breath is slow and relaxed. Towards the end of the song I could have sworn she was sleeping in my arms, until she moves her hand up on my shoulder so it's at the base of my neck. Another half a minute later and the song comes to and end.

She stops dancing and looks up at me, smiling slightly. "Thanks." Her voice is softer than normal.

My brain is a little fuzzy and I can't find any words, so I simply nod.

She releases my hand, turns and heads up to the bar to get a drink. I look to my left and I see Cady staring at me with a curious grin on her face. I brace myself, thinking she's going to come over and ask me what that was. She doesn't say a word. She just smiles at me as she heads up to the bar after Vic, and I return to my seat.

I continue people watching for the rest of the night. I'm distracted for awhile by an older couple who sits at my table to chat. When my table is finally empty again, I turn my gaze to the dance floor where I see Vic dancing with some man I don't recognize. He's roughly her age, and I'm assuming he's from out of town because I don't recognize him. I can't take my eyes off of the two of them. I'm instantly annoyed by this man, although I know I have no right to feel like that. Vic is really drunk at this point, and I can tell that he is, too. They switch from dancing to a fast song to a slow song, and his hands start to roam her body. She doesn't seem to mind, but I do.

I get up from my chair and walk up to them, tapping him on the shoulder. "Excuse me, do you mind if I cut in?"

He looks up, squinting his eyes as he tries to focus them on me. "Oh sure." He lets go of Vic, but keeps ahold of one of her hands and kisses the top of it. "It was a pleasure, ma'am."

She nods at him before he walks away. I move in front of her and she immediately brings both of her hands up to my shoulders, and I place mine gently around her waist.

She looks up at me, her golden eyes glazed over. "Hey." She smiles.

I can't help but smile back. "Hey."

She turns her head to rest it on my chest, just as she did before. Except this time, she actually does fall asleep. When the end of the song is nearing, I can tell that her feet have stopped moving, and I'm holding up most of her weight.

"Hey, Vic. Wake up." I rub my hand lightly on her back.

"Huh?" she gazes up at me, looking confused.

"You fell asleep."

"No, I didn't," she mumbles before putting her head back down on my chest. She's asleep again almost instantly.

I chuckle to myself as I scoop her up in my arms and head for the door.

As I carry her outside to the truck, she folds her arms into my chest and nuzzles her nose into my neck.

I was secretly hoping for Vic to decide to come tonight so I could be around more her outside of work, but this isn't really what I was picturing.

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><p><em><strong>I hope you like the little addition to this one compared to the other story. I decided to take advantage of Vic's blackout state :) Stay tuned for a few more things Vic doesn't remember.<strong>_

_**How are you liking Walt's side so far? I'm curious to know if it's working or not. Personally, I'm a lot like Vic so writing from her perspective was easy for me. Walt is proving to be much harder.**_


	5. Chapter 5

I'm driving Vic home in the Bronco, as I stare over at her sleeping in the passenger seat. She looks so peaceful when she sleeps. She's normally spitting out sarcastic comments and eyerolls, so seeing her asleep and completely relaxed is a different sight. She looks even more beautiful than normal.

When I'm halfway to her house, she starts to stir in the passenger seat. She looks around with her eyes opened wide, and I can tell she's disoriented.

She also looks a little green. "Hey, are you okay?"

"Where are we going? What happened?"

"You don't remember? You fell asleep while we were dancing. I told you I wasn't much of a dancer." I feel a little embarrassed. "I woke you up when the song was over, but you were pretty out of it. So, I helped you walk out to the car and now I'm taking you home." I don't know why I don't tell her that I carried her out of the bar.

"Why did you let me drink so much?!"

I laugh. Of course she tries to blame her intoxication on someone else. "Vic, I'm not your father."

Her mouth creeps into a grin, "No, you are definitely not." Her attempt at flirting is a little different when she's drunk and slurring her words.

"Plus you're pretty feisty when you drink, I didn't dare try to take your beer away from you."

She lets out a drunken chuckle.

"You looked like you were having fun, and I can't remember the last time I saw you do that. So I just let you be, and kept an eye on you."

"You kept an eye on me, huh?" She stares over at me with an eyebrow raised.

I keep my eyes on the road, trying not to let her see me blush. "Yep."

"Fun doesn't feel so hot right now, I think I'm gonna be sick." She bends forward and puts her head between her knees.

I lean over and place a hand on her back, rubbing it gently. I pull up at her house a minute later and as I walk around to the other side of the truck, I find her struggling to open the door. I hold out a hand to help her out, and she takes one step and almost falls down. I wrap my other arm around her shoulders as we slowly make our way up to her doorstep. Once we're at the door, she stops and stares up at me. Her golden brown eyes speckle in the moonlight.

"Uhh, where are your keys?"

Her face goes blank. "Keys? Uhh.." She reaches down and checks the pockets in her jeans and in her coat. She thinks for a couple of moments, and then looks up at me sheepishly. "I think I gave them to Henry."

I look around on her porch hoping for a spare key. "Do you have a hide-a-key here anywhere?"

She shakes her head sadly.

"Okay, uhhh…."

Silence.

"I guess you're staying the night at my cabin." I shrug my shoulders and head back to the car.

"What? No, just uhh, take me to the station, I'll sleep on one of the cots there."

Now she's being ridiculous. "Vic, you're drunk, I'm not making you sleep on a cot."

I march back to the truck, pulling her with me. A few minutes later, we pull up to the cabin, and once again I help her out of the car. It's a good thing she doesn't weigh very much because she barely has any balance right now.

When we make it up to the porch, she looks over at me and says, "I hope you have your keys."

I laugh. "Yeah yeah, let's get you to sleep."

She laughs, and I can tell she's proud of herself for still being funny when she's completely wasted.

Once we're inside, she looks around the cabin like she's never been here before. She peeks inside my bedroom briefly before making her way to the couch. I go in to use the restroom quick, and when I come back she's sound asleep already. I walk over to where she's laying, and bend down to pick her up.

She jolts awake at my touch. "Mmm, I'm awake." She's sitting up now but her eyes are only open halfway.

I laugh. "No you're not. Let me move you and you can go back to sleep."

"No, not yet. Sit down with me." She pulls my arm down towards the couch.

I hesitate, wondering if this is a good idea. She continues pulling on my arm until I reluctantly give in. Once I'm sitting on the couch next to her, she looks up at me, her eyes glazed over.

"Tonight was fun." She smiles. "Did you have fun?"

I nod nervously. "Yep."

"Good." She mumbles as she turns her body slightly and rests her head on my shoulder.

I figure she's about to fall asleep so I just sit and wait. But a minute later, she mumbles again. "Walt?"

"Yeah?"

"You smell good tonight."

I smirk. "Thanks. You always smell good."

This makes her giggle, and then she really does fall asleep again. I shift my body slowly and pick her up, she stirs a little at the movement but she doesn't wake up this time. I carry her into my room and place her on the bed, pulling the covers up over her tiny body. She rolls over and squeezes the pillow into her body. I stand over her and stare for a few minutes, wishing I could just crawl into bed with her.

I head out and settle myself down on the couch. I pull a blanket over top to me and as I drift off to sleep.

I dream of beautiful, gold speckled eyes.


	6. Chapter 6

When I open my eyes in the morning, it takes me a second to remember that I'm on the couch and not my bed. It's completely light inside the cabin. I don't hear or see Vic anywhere, but I smell coffee so I know she beat me awake. I sit up and notice that the front door is open.

I walk to the kitchen and poor myself a cup of coffee before heading to the front door. She doesn't hear me walk up and I stay quiet for a few minutes as I watch her.

She's just sitting there staring out at the land. She's unmoving, except for the figeting of her fingers. She does this when she's thinking. She used to do it with her wedding ring, I think it was a nervous habit. She no longer wears a ring on her finger but I still catch her rubbing her hands like she still has it on. I'm not sure she's even aware she does it. It makes me wonder what she's thinking about.

I could stand here and watch her all day, but eventually I sigh loudly to let her know I'm awake.

She jumps slightly as she spins around to look at me.

"Good morning." I smile as I step out onto the porch, taking a sip of my coffee.

"Morning." She smiles crookedly. "You didn't have to sleep on the couch, you know. I barely remember when we got here last night. Obviously, I could have slept anywhere. I didn't need to steal your bed."

I wonder what else she doesn't remember. If she barely remembers coming back here, she might not recall telling me that I smelled good, which means she wouldn't remember my response. I'm not sure that I want her to. I probably shouldn't have said it, anyway. It's not normal to think like that about my deputy.

"You don't even remember coming back here last night?"

"Not really. The whole night is kinda fuzzy. I remember the first 4 or 5 beers…. and pulling you on the dance floor." She looks up and frowns. "Sorry about that, I tend to impose on people's personal space when I drink."

I laugh. "I noticed." She barely even hesitated when she pulled me up to dance.

"I hope I didn't do anything too weird, I don't remember much after the dancing. I vaguely remember the ride home." She clears her throat, realizing she called my cabin 'home.' "Here, I vaguely remember the ride here."

I walk over and sit down next to her on the steps, "You were fine, I promise. You acted pretty normal, really." I try and give her a reassuring smile.

"I have a hard time believing that." I haven't been around her much when she's drinking, but she makes it seem like she's been known to act a little crazy under the influence. I wonder if she remembers dancing with that other guy.

"Well, except for the end of the night when you were so tired and couldn't walk to the car… and I had to carry you." I laugh thinking back to it.

We both stay silent for a couple moments. I'm thinking back to how she nuzzled into my neck when I carried her outside. I can tell she's thinking too, but I'm not sure if she's trying to remember the details or just trying to decide which parts to actually admit to remembering.

"I'm sorry for putting you out, Walt," she says finally.

I shake my head. "It made for an interesting night, actually. That's the first time I've ever had to carry one of my drunk deputies out of a bar."

She bows her head briefly, looking embarrassed, "and hopefully it's the last."

I wonder if I've made a mistake by not mentioning the man she was dancing with. It's possible that she remembers that part of the night, but in the event that she doesn't, I'm certainly not going to bring it up.

We sit outside for awhile longer drinking our coffee. We talk a little bit more about nothing in particular, but we mostly just sit in silence. Eventually, I take her back to her truck at the Red Pony. We find Henry in the back office.

"Good morning, you two." He doesn't look surprised to see us.

"Morning." Vic says through a yawn.

"I assume you are here for these?" He picks up a set of keys from his desk and tosses them over to Vic.

"Thank you." She catches them and folds her arms over her chest. "I don't even remember giving you my keys."

He smiles. "I asked for them after you ordered your fifth or sixth beer."

"Right." She nods, not remembering, but not surprised that he had asked for her keys.

"Did you have a good time last night?" He smiles over at us.

"I think so." She laughs. "The whole night is a bit blurry but I think I had a good time. It was nice to get out of the house."

"Good, I am glad."

Vic glances back at the door. "I better get going though, I need to go shower and maybe get a nap in since I'm on call later."

I nod, "Okay."

"Thanks for taking my keys, Henry." She gives him a weak smile and he nods. She turns to me. "Thanks for the ride, Walt."

"Not a problem."

She smiles and turns for the door, touching my arm lightly as she goes. "See you guys later."

"Bye, Vic," Henry calls after her.

I watch her leave, and when I turn back to Henry I see that that he's grinning at me.

Here we go. "What?" Even though I know exactly what.

"You two snuck out last night."

"We didn't sneak out." I reply sharply.

He raises an eyebrow at me.

"Vic was drunk, so I took her home. I didn't want to make a scene so I didn't say bye to anyone."

"I had her keys."

"Yep. I didn't know that until we got to her house and she couldn't get in."

"So… what happened then?" We don't normally pry into each others personal lives, but I can tell Henry can't help himself.

"She came and stayed at the cabin. She took my bed and I slept on the couch, okay?"

He smiles and nods, not prying anymore but satisfied with himself for getting a little information out of me. "Okay."

"Okay."

He's still smiling at me.

"Stop it. I'm gonna get going." I turn and head for the door.

He laughs. "Goodbye, Walt."

I get halfway across the bar and I hear him yell out from his office. "I am glad you had fun last night."

I did have fun last night. That's the problem.


	7. Chapter 7

Not much has happened since Henry's party. Things at the station have been pretty quiet.

I just had a meeting with Wally Harper from the bank, and as soon as he leaves I look up to see Vic walking into my office and closing the door quietly behind her.

"What's up, Vic?" I say quickly before looking back at the papers in front of me.

"I was just wondering how come you didn't tell me about the handsome man I was dancing with at the Red Pony last weekend."

I look up at her and see that her expression is mostly confusion, mixed with a little bit of anger. I had a feeling this would come back to bite me in the ass. "I uhh, I don't know...I didn't think it was necessary, I guess."

"You told me I acted pretty normal that night. You think me cozying up to some stranger is normal for me?" Her voice is rising, and I can tell I've made a big mistake.

"Well, I uhh, I don't know. You've been married most of the time I've known you, so I'm not sure I guess if you danced with strangers before you were, uhh, married."

"What happened with this guy?"

"Uhh, nothing really. You danced with him for a bit, and I took you home shortly after."

"Shortly after?" She crosses her arms over her chest and stares back at me angrily. "Cady said she saw you interrupt us on the dance floor, and the next thing she knew we were both gone. Is that when you took me home? You interrupted us on the dance floor so you could take me home?"

I know how it looks, and I'm not sure I blame her for being upset, but I don't know what to say. "Well, you were drunk, Vic. I didn't want that guy taking advantage of you. You're my deputy, I was just trying to protect you."

Everything I'm saying is true.

"If I'm your deputy, you have my back out there in the field," she points out the window. "Off duty, in a bar?" She lowers her voice. She takes a few steps forward and places her hands on top of my desk. Her eyes look more hurt than angry, which confuses me. "Breaking up a slow dance with another man makes you look like a jealous boyfriend, Walt, not my boss."

I'm caught. I can't even explain myself. I can't tell her that I was jealous. She's my deputy; I'm not allowed to be jealous. "I'm sorry, Vic," is all I can offer.

A sad look appears on her face, and she sighs before turning for the door. She slams it behind her as she leaves.

What did I get myself into? Why couldn't I just have stayed out of it?

I sit there with my head in my hands trying to figure out how to fix this, when Vic comes strolling back in. She slams the door again behind her and walks over to where I'm sitting. She slows her pace once she gets around my desk, and squeezes her body in between me and my desk. I eye her carefully, wondering what on Earth she's doing. Staring up at her golden eyes, I try to convey everything I'm feeling with my gaze so I don't actually have to explain myself.

I can't explain myself.

"I don't want you to be sorry, Walt. But if you're going to act like a jealous boyfriend, then I'm not gonna act like just your deputy."

She leans down and grabs both sides of my face before crushing her lips to mine. I freeze. This isn't happening, not like this. I don't want her to kiss me out of anger.

I want to kiss her back, but I can't. Frankly, I'm too shocked to even respond at all. When she pulls away, she doesn't look angry anymore, but I can't exactly read her expression. She lets go of my face and runs a hand through my hair before standing up and leaving. She leaves the door wide open when she goes.

I barely even have time to compose myself before Cady walks in and asks me what's going on. I tell her nothing but I can tell she knows something weird just happened. I do my best to change the subject and I end up inviting her out to dinner tonight.

Once she leaves I have a hard time focusing the rest of the day.

What the hell just happened?

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><p><em><strong>Thanks for reading you guys! And thanks for the kind reviews! I'm glad you're enjoying it from Walt's perspective, too! More original scenes coming!<strong>_


	8. Chapter 8

_**Sorry for the late night update, I have the story done already and am trying to give a chapter a day but I spaced it off this morning. I did all of my holiday baking today! :) I have a lotttttt of cookies. But here's something sweet for you, more Walt and Vic ;)**_

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><p>"Okay, yeah. I'll leave soon and we'll be there in a couple of hours." I hang up the phone and take a few deep breaths. I'm going to have to ask Vic to ride along with me to pick up a prisoner in another county. Ferg is out on another call.<p>

We get into the Bronco and we drive in silence. Normally I enjoy silence, but even I will admit that this is uncomfortable. Neither one of us says a word for the first hour, until Vic reaches over and turns the radio on. I only let the song play halfway through before I reach over and turn it off.

I don't want to make things any more awkward than they already are, but I need it to be quiet in order to think. I need to figure out what to do next. Where do we go from here?

I feel her eyes on me but I keep mine on the road.

She can't take it anymore and breaks the silence. "Walt."

"What?" I stare straight ahead.

"What's going on with you?"

If only I could tell you. "Nothing. I'm just thinking."

"Would you like to share?"

I answer, but only in my head. Yes, but I can't. I don't even know what I'm thinking.

"You don't have anything to say about yesterday? Or the other night at the Red Pony?"

I sigh, "I already told you, Vic. I was just trying to look out for you. I didn't want you doing something when you were drunk that you'd regret the next morning. I'm sorry that I interfered."

"Don't you get it? ... I'm not mad that you interfered." Her voice is soft.

I take my eyes off the road to look at my beautiful deputy. I only look away for a few seconds, but when I turn my gaze back to the road I see a man in the middle of the road waving his arms in the air. I swerve at the last second, just missing the man and his broken down car on the side of the road.

When I swerved and slammed on my breaks, Vic slammed her head on the dashboard and now has a huge gash on her forehead. I try to get a look at her wound but she brushes me off and insists that I go help the man. He only has a flat tire, so I get started on changing that so I can go back and make sure she's ok.

Once I finish and he drives off, I walk over to the passenger side where Vic is sitting. She's hunched forward with her head resting in her hands.

I hate that I'm always hurting her, unintentionally, of course. "How is your head?"

"It's pounding, but I'll live." I'm sure it hurts like hell, but she'll never complain.

I bend down and place a hand on her shoulder. "Let me see it,"

She slowly brings her head up so I can get a good look at it. I grab her chin and turn her head to the side, leaning down close to her face. It's a pretty good size gash, but I don't think she'll need stitches. I go to the back seat where my first aid box is. I rustle through it until I find the rubbing alcohol. Grabbing one of the rags from her lap. I drench it in the alcohol and apply it to the cut as I cradle her face with my other hand. She winces, and I instinctively move closer so I can gently blow on the cut. After putting the rag down, I stare at her for a few moments before brushing a strand of hair out of her eyes. "I'm sorry about your head," I say softly.

She brushes off my apology and shakes her head lightly, "Don't be, I'll live."

I let go of her and stand up straight. I look down at her for another moment before walking around to my side of the truck to continue our drive. We only make it about ten minutes in silence this time before she speaks.

"Walt… Tell me I'm not crazy."

I don't know how to answer that. If I answer honestly, things will never be the same. But if I lie, I'll have to see the hurt in her eyes, and I'm not sure I can take that right now. Plus, she knows me too well; she knows when I'm lying.

She takes a deep breath and continues. "You feel it too, don't you? Whatever's going on between us? It's not just me, right?" Her voice is shaking.

I don't reply right away, but I force myself to match her bravery."Vic… It's not just you."

I look over at her just before she snaps her head in my direction. Her eyes are wide with anticipation, but I only allow myself to stare at her beautiful face for a few moments. I peel my eyes off of hers and reach down to switch on the radio before turning back to the road.

We spend the rest of the drive in silence.

I spend the rest of the drive wondering how I let myself fall for my deputy.


	9. Chapter 9

_**Sorry guys! I accidentally posted the chapter 9 from Vic's perspective instead of Walt's... here's the correct one! Thanks to those who pointed it out.**_

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><p>After admitting to Vic that I can feel what's happening between us, I'm finding it hard to act normal around her at work. We've kept things professional, and neither of has mentioned the confession. I think she knows how big of a step it was for me to admit that to her because she isn't pressing the issue again yet.<p>

The key word here is 'yet.' Patience does not come easy to Vic.

It's Friday, and I'm sitting at my desk when my phone rings.

"Longmire."

"Walt. Hey It's Jimmy Larson, from over on Westbrook Avenue?"

"Hey, Jimmy. What's up?"

"You might want to head out over there. I just left my house and the Hopper's are in a real nasty argument, I thought I'd give you a heads up."

"Okay, thanks. I'll make a stop out there now."

"Be careful, Sheriff."

"I will." I hang up and grab my coat before walking out to Vic's desk.

She's on the phone while doodling absentmindedly on a pad of paper.

"Uhh, Vic?" She stops moving her pen and shoots a look up at me. "I uhh, I need you to come with me out to Marcy Hopper's place. One of the neighbors called in a domestic dispute, and uhh, it might get ugly."

She points to the phone with her pen, "I'm on the hold with the DOT about the Cooper case, where's Ferg?"

"He's out on another call about 30 minutes away. I don't think we can wait that long."

"Alright, I guess I'll finish with the DOT later." She hangs up and grabs her coat.

We get to the house in about five minutes. Before even pulling up to the house you can hear the couple screaming at each other inside the house. As I pull into the driveway, I see that the windows are shattered, which partly explains why their voices are carrying so much. It's mostly Marcy's voice that you can hear, John isn't doing much talking. It appears that John cheated on Marcy and she somehow found out. She is attempting to throw him out of the house, along with everything that he owns. There are random objects all over the front lawn.

"Sheriff's Department!" I yell as we approach the front door.

Marcy barely even looks in my direction. "Not now Sheriff, I'm busy teaching my worthless husband a lesson!" She pauses slightly before throwing a telephone at the corner of the room, where her husband seems to be hiding.

John peaks his head out from behind a recliner, "Woman, you're crazy! Sheriff, do something! She's destroying everything!"

I slowly make my way into the door way, with Vic trailing me for backup. I put my hands in the air as I get closer. "Marcy, I'm just here to help. The neighbors called and are concerned. I don't want anybody to get hurt."

"I'm already hurt, Sheriff. I just found out that this piece of shit has been sleeping with Candy from the strip club in Sheridan. Can you believe that? We've been married for 22 years and he's sleeping with a stripper." She picks up a speaker connected to the tv and yanks it unhooked and throws it out the window.

"Baby, pleeeeeeease, I said I was sorry! What more do you want from me?!" John pleads.

The more John talks, the angrier Marcy gets. She picks up a picture frame and chucks it across the room. The agony on her face makes me want to pull her into a hug and tell her that she deserves better.

Trying to diffuse the situation, I creep further inside and put myself between the two. "Marcy, just calm down. We can figure this out without anybody getting hurt."

As I'm distracting Marcy in my attempt to calm her down, Vic slips inside behind Marcy. "Marcy, just listen to me. Please calm down."

Marcy just shakes her head. She turns and grabs a vase of dead tulips and is about to throw it when Vic lunges at the last second and grabs her arm. Marcy fights back, which causes her to drop the vase and shatter the glass everywhere. She flips around and starts yelling at Vic while swinging her arms frantically.

"Who are you?! Leave me alone!"

I jump on Marcy and pull her off of Vic. "Marcy, calm down, that's my partner. CALM DOWN!"

Marcy breaks down and starts sobbing. Vic takes advantage of Marcy being distracted and gets the husband outside safely. After several minutes of convincing, Marcy agrees to let us check John into a hotel so they can get away from each other for a night or two. Once John leaves in his car, we hang out for a bit to make sure he doesn't come back before we head to the station.

"That was definitely one of the more interesting calls we've had in a while."

She looks over at me and laughs. I think it's the first laugh I've heard from her in a few days. It's a good sound. "You mean you don't always have crazy housewives try to nail you with a vase full of tulips?"

I chuckle back and nod in agreement. "That is definitely a first."

She lowers her voice a little, and her tone becomes more serious. "I don't really blame her for being upset, though. She took it a little overboard, obviously, but love makes you do crazy things sometimes."

I glance over at her, but her eyes are straight ahead. I think back to yesterday when she kissed me after yelling at me. "Yeah, I guess you're right about that."

We drive in silence for a couple more minutes before she speaks. "Hey, you called me your partner back there," I can hear realization in her voice. "Not your deputy."

I feel her eyes on me, but I keep my gaze on the road as I think back. I didn't do that consciously, but I guess I did call her my partner. Vic, Ferg and Branch are all my deputies, but Vic and I work more together than the others. I guess she is more of a partner to me than they are, but when did I start using that term instead of deputy? I don't know what to say back so I just give her a, "Yep."

We're both silent the rest of the way back to the station. Once we get to the door, Vic is about to go through the main entrance when I grab her hand and pull her in through my private entrance. She lets out a gasp as I push her up to the wall. For a second I worry that I've hurt her, but she doesn't move away from me.

I don't know what has come over me, and I'm not sure what I'm doing. I stand there hovering over her with both of my palms on the wall behind her. I know I shouldn't be doing this but I just want to be near her, just for a minute. I lean down and move closer to her and she brings her hands up in between us, as if she's trying to protect herself from my touch. My face inches closer to hers but I stop when our foreheads touch. I can feel her hands touching my stomach lightly. We stand like this for a couple of minutes, listening to each other breathe.

This isn't right. I shouldn't be feeling like this. Vic is too young for me. I'm her boss. I can think of a handful of reasons why this is a bad idea.

"Vic, you still are my deputy."

She takes a deep breath, and I can feel the warm air on my face. "I know."

I can smell her shampoo. "This shouldn't happen."

"I keep telling myself that." She replies quickly.

"You should probably go," I mutter, even though that's the last thing I want her to do.

"I should." She still doesn't move. Instead, she tilts her head up and kisses me lightly at the side of my mouth. "Walt, please." She begs, and I can hear a little pain in her voice.

I can't take hearing her voice quiver anymore, and I allow myself to lean down and place a soft kiss on her lips. I pull back and stare at her golden eyes looking back at me. I take a deep breath before my lips find hers again. I'm trying to be gentle, but her response is making it difficult. My hands move down to her hips and she lifts her legs up and wraps them around my waist. Her mouth is open, inviting me in. Her hands move through my hair, holding my head in place as if I'd back away if she ever let me go. Then her hands are clutching both sides of my face, and eventually moving them down to the back of my head. I move my mouth down to kiss her neck, and as I work my way back up she let's out a soft moan and pulls my head back up searching for my lips again. It's as if her moan brings me back to reality. My mind suddenly shifts, and I begin to slow down the kiss. My mouth still pressed to hers, I untangle her legs from around me and slowly lower her to the floor. She's clutching my shirt when I finally pull away.

We stand there in silence for a couple of minutes as we try to catch our breaths. I lean into her and stare into her speckled eyes, and I notice that they look how I feel: enlightened, but also sad. I'm very aware of my feelings for Vic now, even though I've been pushing them away for quite some time. I can't deny anymore that they're there. But it's a sad thought when you know that those feelings aren't enough. It's not right for us to be together.

"Vic, I…" I start, before realizing I don't have the words.

Her mouth creeps into a somber smile, and she brings a hand up to the side of my face. I lean my head into her touch as I fight the urge to bring my hand up to hers. "I know, I'll go," she whispers. She leaves her hand there for another moment before releasing it as she squeezes out and exits quietly through the private door.

I move over to my left and put my back up against the door, sliding myself down to the floor. I slump down with my head in my hands and wonder exactly how big of a mistake I just made.

I have told myself for weeks that this couldn't happen, and two little words from Vic and I cave.

'Walt, please,' she muttered and I was done for.

I've just changed everything. We can't go back to the way things were before, not after that kiss.

I close my eyes and I can still feel her wet lips on mine. I may never sleep again.


	10. Chapter 10

I'm sitting on the couch reading a book I've read a hundred times. It's a good thing I know what happens, because I can't really concentrate on the words on the page. I'm about to take another sip of my beer when I hear a knock at the door. I glance at the clock to see that it's just before 9 o'clock.

Given the events of today, I have a fairly good guess on who's standing out there on my porch. I open the door and as she looks up at me I see her gold eyes sparkle in the dark.

"Hi," she says softly.

I nod. "Vic… Everything okay?"

"Yes. Well, I mean, kind of. I was hoping we could talk?"

I'm not good at talking, but I can't exactly say no. I open the door and slip to the side allowing room for her to come in.

"Can I uhh, get you anything? A beer?" I motion towards the kitchen.

She shakes her head. "No thanks, I'm okay. I've had enough to drink tonight."

"You drove here after you've been drinking?" I stare back at her, a little surprised.

"Well not exactly, I was drinking at the Red Pony earlier during dinner." She walks over to the couch as she talks and sits at one end. "I had a few beers but Henry made me drink about a gallon of tea before he would let me drive home."

"But you didn't go home. You came here instead?"

She nods slowly and pauses before adding, "I thought we should talk."

I was afraid of that. I bite my lip, a nervous habit, as I make my way to the couch and sit at the opposite end as her. "What did you want to talk about?"

She's incredulous. "You're kidding, right?"

I look back at her apologetically. "I don't know where to start, Vic. This isn't a normal conversation."

"Walt, we kissed," she blurts out.

"Yeah, I'm sorry about that."

I almost regret my apology once I see the hurt creep onto her face. "I don't want you to apologize."

"Well, I need to. I crossed the line."

"I crossed the line first. Twice."

"You did," I admit, "but that still doesn't excuse my actions. It was unprofessional." I rest my elbows on my knees and lean forward covering my face with my hands. I don't want to have this conversation; I don't know how to have this conversation. I just want everything to stop for a minute.

She lets me be for a moment before interrupting my thoughts again. "Walt, look at me." I'm afraid that if I look at her I'll never be able to peel my eyes away. "Please," she pleads softly.

I give into her voice and find her gaze.

"Is that the only reason you regret kissing me? Is that it was unprofessional?"

Her eyes have this incredible hold on me. I want to be completely honest with her, but I don't want to hurt her feelings, or make her believe I'm ready for something that I'm not.

I turn on the couch so my body is facing her, bringing my legs up on the couch and stretching them out in front of me. Taking a deep breath, I reply truthfully. "I said I was sorry, I never said I regretted it."

I can tell she's slightly surprised by my response. "Okayyyy. So why are you sorry then?"

"Because it can't happen again."

She glares back at me like I just challenged her to a sport in which she's an expert at. She copies me and turns on the couch, pulling her legs up and stretching them out so they rest just inches from mine.

"Why?" she challenges.

"I'm your boss."

"There's no law against it in Wyoming. I checked."

"You checked?"

She crosses her arms over her chest and nods. I have to admit I'm a little surprised at how prepared she is for this argument.

"Even if there's no law against it, it's still unprofessional."

She eyes me for a moment. "Is that the only reason?"

Of course it's not the only reason. I'm an old man. I shift uncomfortably on the couch, trying to figure out how to answer her burning question.

She stares at me, waiting.

"There's a bit of an age gap."

"And?" Her reply is quick, like she knew exactly what I was going to say.

"And what?"

"And, I don't care. I don't care how old you are. I don't even actually know how old you are."

I think about the fact that I have a grown daughter who's only about 6 years younger than her. "I'm old enough to be your father, Vic."

"But you're not," she fires back.

"That's not the point. But how does my age not bother you?" I ask curiously.

She shrugs. "I didn't go seeking you out, Walt. It's not like I found your stats on the internet and said, 'oh here's the guy for me, a handsome widower in his 50s who likes to read and have monosyllabic conversations.' I don't think about your age. I didn't plan this, and I don't go around kissing people I'm not attracted to."

I feel myself blush a little at her saying she's attracted to me. How is that possible?

"Why does my age bother you? Do I act immature?"

"No."

"Do you care what other people would think?"

"No."

"Then what is it?"

I don't know how to put it into words exactly why it bothers me. It just feels wrong. "You deserve someone your own age."

"Shouldn't that be my decision?"

I walked right into that one. I know all too well that she doesn't need people making decisions for her. I need to look away from her eyes, so I do what I do best and stare down at my hands.

"You said earlier that you didn't regret kissing me."

"No," I reply without looking up.

"May I ask why?"

I feel my face turn red. "I haven't been kissed like that in a long time." I look up at her earnestly.

She sighs and shuts her eyes. If I had to guess, she's fighting the same urge that I am. All I want to do is crawl over there and kiss her again.

It's clear that we're not going to solve this tonight. I wait for her to open her eyes again before I speak. "I believe we're at a bit of a stalemate."

She nods. "For now."

She lifts one of her legs and places it on the other side of mine, intertwining them with mine. Her eyes don't leave mine for the rest of the night. Her face is the last thing I see before I fall asleep.

God, she's beautiful.


	11. Chapter 11

I wake up early the next morning with Vic sound asleep at the other end of the couch. I get up slowly and grab a blanket off of the chair and drape it over her. I walk to the kitchen and put on a pot of coffee, hoping that the noise doesn't wake her up. Glancing back at her, I see that she's still out, and decide to make some breakfast.

I'm almost done making eggs and bacon when I hear her voice behind me.

"Good morning," she says softly.

I turn around to see her sitting up on the couch. "Oh, uhh, sorry. Was I uhh, being too loud? Did I wake you?"

She laughs lightly. "No, you're fine, Walt. This is your cabin you can be as noisy as you want." She gets up and walks towards me.

This is awkward. Even more awkward than the night Lizzie slept here on the couch. I try to act normal. "I have a little extra scrambled eggs if you, uhh, if you're hungry."

"I'm alright, thanks. I should get going, I need to run home and shower. I will take some coffee though if I can take it in a mug with me."

"Ok, uhh sure."

She starts opening cabinets, and finds a coffee mug in the third one. I feel myself tense up when she walks over to the coffee maker that is right next to me by the stove. She fills up her mug and brings it up to her face to take in its warmth.

"Are you ok, Walt?"

No, I'm not okay; this is weird. But all I say is, "Mmhmm."

I can feel her staring up at me, even though I'm trying desperately not to notice. She's silent for another moment before she reaches up and kisses me on the cheek. "Thanks for the coffee, I'll see you at the office."

I turn and watch her leave. "Okay, uhh, see you soon."

When I get to the office I say my hellos to Ruby and Ferg before retreating to my office. I'm not even in there for five minutes yet when Ruby yells out that there's a call for me on line one.

I pick up the phone. "Longmire."

"Hi Sheriff, it's Mike from over in Cumberland County. I need you to go check out an address for me."

"Sure, what's up Mike?"

"A car registered to a Gregory Dawson was seen during a breaking and entering early this morning in Cumberland. Will you go check it out and see if you can find him?"

"Absolutely, I'll let you know what we find."

"Thanks, Walt. I faxed his picture over to you."

"Great, thanks." I hang up the phone just as Ruby comes in and brings me the mug shot Mike just sent over. Along with the picture, she's also holding a few pages with the suspect's history. Once Ruby leaves, I read over the file quickly before heading out to the main office.

I'm looking down at the papers in my hand and am thrown for a loop when I just about run into Vic at the end of the hallway.

I panic. I didn't think she would be in the office so soon after me. I got distracted by the phone call and hadn't mentally prepared myself for seeing her.

"Oh, uhh sorry Vic. I didn't see you there. I didn't uhh, hear you, uhh hear you come in."

She smirks back at me. Of course she's enjoying watching me squirm. "I just got in. What's up?" She gestures to the paper in my hand.

"This is Gregory Dawson. A car registered in his name is involved in a breaking and entering this morning. We need to go check out his last known address and see if we can find him."

She nods quickly. "Alrighty, I'm up for a chase."

I head for the door and behind me I hear her set down her coffee and grab her coat.

Once we start driving, I try to concentrate on the road, and not on the fact that I kissed my deputy yesterday. My very beautiful deputy.

"So this Gregory Dawson, it looks like he's been picked up before, several times. All petty crimes, but nothing recently. He had 7 run-ins with the law in three years and then the last two years, absolutely nothing. Don't you think that's kinda weird?"

"Yeah, uhh, a little I guess."

"Walt. Stop it."

"What?" I don't want to admit that I know exactly what she's referring to.

"You're acting weird."

"No I'm not."

"Yes you are. Nothing has changed at work, Walt. We're still partners with work to do. Just act normal."

I sigh. Act normal. How is it that simple for her? "I'm trying to."

"Well you might want to try harder. Ferg and Ruby are going to know something's up if you keep saying 'uhh' every other word around me."

Instead of responding, I stay quiet until we pull up to the residence. We ease our way up to the front door, and I knock twice.

No response.

I knock again. "Sheriff's Department."

Still no reply. I jiggle the doorknob and to my surprise, the door opens right up. We enter in slowly, Vic behind me, with our hands on our guns.

The house smells horrible. If someone has been living here, their sense of smell must be shot, because the stench of the entire house is horrendous. I hear Vic gag as we make our way though each room, and I'm trying not to do the same. I can't imaging someone has been living here, and it looks like someone just up and left without any warning. Most of the furniture is still here, along with a ton of garbage. No personal items, though. So there's no way to tell if Gregory Dawson ever in fact lived here.

"Guess this is a dead end. We should probably head back and see if we can find any of his family."

"Yup." I agree as I head for the door.

"Thanks for the profound addition to the conversation." Her voice is sarcastic, and I know she's right. I've mastered monosyllabic conversations, but I don't do it on purpose; it just happens.

Once we're back in the Bronco, she stares over at me for a couple minutes before speaking.

"Walt, seriously. I know things are a bit different right now but you're acting so weird."

"I don't know how else to be, Vic," I grumble back. I see her eyes narrow a little at my comment, and I immediately regret it.

"I'm sorry." This isn't easy for me, and I'm a little irritated that she can turn 'us' on and off so seamlessly. I don't say this out loud. I'm not even sure there is an 'us.' I don't know what this is.

I turn the keys in the ignition and start the drive back to the station.

Her voice is softer now. "It's okay. I understand, kind of. We used to be so comfortable around each other, can we get back to that?"

"That was before."

"Before we kissed?"

"Yes."

"Look, I know we're trying to figure things out, and believe me, I'm not backing down on you but I don't want to pressure you either. But it was just a kiss, Walt. A really great kiss, but just a kiss. You're acting like you just saw me on a sex tape and you're about to die of embarrassment anytime I'm in the same room as you."

So it wasn't just me. She thought it was a great kiss, too. I'm not sure if that was supposed to help or not, but this makes me even more nervous, and I start to fidget in my seat.

She must see me start to panic, and she feels bad now. "Seriously, Walt. I'm sorry, what can I do to help?"

"I don't know if you can do anything."

She takes a deep breath and un-buckles her seat belt before scooting over to sit in the middle seat.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm trying to help you." She grabs my hand and holds it with hers as she intertwines our fingers and rests them in her lap.

"Vic." I'm not sure how this is supposed to be helping me.

"Just shut up. We're just holding hands, Walt. That's it. It's not a big deal."

"This doesn't make any sense."

"I'm trying to make you more comfortable around me. You need to get over this new fear of touching me. It's fairly innocent, Walt. You'll get used to it." She reaches her other hand forward and flips on the radio.

I'm never going to be comfortable with this. These feelings are not normal, and I should not be having them.

She's not backing down though, so I try to relax. I haven't really held hands with anybody since Martha. Surprisingly, Vic has soft, little hands, just like Martha did.

Neither of us says another word until we pull back up to the station. She slides back over to the passenger seat, but keeps my hand in hers.

When I put the truck in park and finally look over at her, I can't help but grin a little. "You're going to be the death of me."

"That's what I'm trying to avoid. If you're constantly this nervous around me you're going to give yourself an ulcer." She squeezes my hand lightly before letting it go.

I want to tell her that I'd gladly take an ulcer if I could stare at her for the rest of my life and not feel bad about it.

I don't say this. I say nothing and follow her upstairs.


	12. Chapter 12

I toss and turn all night. I'm sure I slept a little bit, but it's hard to tell. I think I saw almost every hour on the clock.

I close my eyes and I see her golden browns staring back at me. I see them as she puts her hands on both sides of my face when she kissed me that first day. I see them as they look up at me with curiosity the next day when I pinned her up against the wall. I see them as she sits across from me on the couch as she challenges my excuses for why we can't be together.

There are plenty of moments. I'm convinced my mind will never truly be at rest again.

The next morning on my way into the office, I give myself a little pep talk. She's right, if I keep acting weird around her at the office, Ruby and Ferg are going to know something's going on. I'm not ready for that yet.

"You're going to see Vic today. Don't act weird. Nothing has changed."

Yeah, nothing has changed except that I've kissed my deputy, multiple times. I've kissed my deputy who is a good fifteen years younger than I am.

"No, you can do this. Okay, so things have changed. You kinda had feelings for Vic before, and you were still able to act normal around her at the office. You just need to get back to that."

I'm glad she can't see me now, talking to myself like an idiot.

When I get into the office, I walk in at the same time as Ferg. It looks like the girls beat us in.

"Good morning, Walter. Good morning, Ferg," chimes Ruby.

Vic follows suit, briefly looking up from her desk. "Mornin' boys."

"Good morning!" Ferg replies cheerfully. I wish a little of his attitude could rub off on me today.

"Morning, Ruby." I glance at Vic, and our eyes make contact for a split second and I'm done for already. "Hey, uhh, Vic. Uhh, good morning to you, too."

Damnit. My pep talk needs a little work.

I put my head down and walk straight into my office. Ruby follows me in with a handful of post-its in her hand. She closes the door behind her and sits down.

"Walter, is everything alright?"

"Yeah, Ruby. I'm fine."

"Are you sure? You seem a little off lately." She stares back at me with a slight smile on her face, like she knows exactly what's been going on.

I don't have the energy for this today. "I'm sure, Ruby." I try to give her a smile as I gesture to the post-its in her hand. "You can leave the notes, I'll go through them myself."

"Sure." She stands up and places the notes in front of me and reaches for the door.

"Give it time, Walter." She turns back to me before she leaves.

I look up. "Give what time?"

She just smiles, and walks out the door. I don't know why I'm surprised that Ruby might know what's going on, she's known me for a very long time.

Within thirty seconds after Ruby leaves, I look up to see Vic standing in the doorway shutting the door behind her. Once she see's me look up, she flips the lock on the door and walks over to sit down on the couch.

She pats the spot next to her. "Come here." Her voice is velvety.

I don't have time for this today. "Vic."

She doesn't budge. "Just get over here unless you want me to cause a scene."

This woman is too much for me. I know how relentless she is, so I obey, making sure to sigh loudly to show my irritation.

She holds both of her hands out in front of her.

Again with the hand holding. I turn my body so I'm facing her, and I grab her hands in mine. Our eyes are locked for a minute before she speaks.

"How are you?"

"I'm fine."

"Are you sleeping? You look like shit."

I feel like shit. "Thanks."

"You're not sleeping very well are you?"

I shrug. "Not particularly."

"That was a lousy 'good morning' out there." She gestures to the main office.

"I know." She really does deserve a better greeting. "I can't help it. I told myself the entire way here to act normal when I first see you. But, …" I lose my words.

"But what? What happens?"

"Then I see you," I look up, searching for her eyes, "and I forget. Every time I see you now is like the first time and I forget what to do."

She tilts her head at me and a smile creeps on her face. She releases one of my hands and brings it up to my face, pulling it to hers before she locks her lips to mine. She pulls away a moment later.

She has got to stop doing that. I know she thinks she's doing me a favor, but this isn't helping me think any clearer. If anything, it's making it worse.

"I thought you weren't going to pressure me."

"I'm not, I'm not pressuring you for anything more than a kiss. You can't say something like that to me and expect me not to kiss you." She moves her hand down and rests it at the back of my neck, gently playing with the hair back there, sending chills down my spine. "Plus, kissing is part of my plan to get you to loosen up."

Oh boy.

"I'm not sure that's a good idea."

"You need to calm down, Walt. You're thinking too much about all of this. Kissing relaxes you."

She has obviously never kissed someone like herself. There is nothing relaxing about it.

"I don't feel very relaxed."

"That's because I'm doing all the kissing. Your turn." She waves her hands in front of her. "Kiss me."

"Vic, come on." I feel like I'm in high school again and someone just sprung a game of spin the bottle on me.

"Step out of your comfort zone, Walt. It's the only way to get past this awkward stage we're in. Well, that you're in," she smirks back at me.

I hate that she's enjoying this. I glare back at her, but she's not budging.

I figure I might as well get it over with. I lean forward slowly and kiss her gently on the lips. When I pull away a few seconds later, I hover my face just over hers. It's her perfume that stops me. It's different than what she normally wears; I think it's lavender.

I give up and lean in again. This time, I make the mistake of parting my lips slightly, which Vic takes as an invitation for her tongue to dance with mine. I have to slow the kiss after a few moments before she gets any ideas to take this further. I pull away slightly, leaning back to see her face, but close enough that I can still smell her perfume.

Kissing Vic really is something else.

I see a smile begin to form on her face and I can't help but return with one of my own. "Good morning."

She laughs. "Much better." She leans forward quickly and kisses me one last time before standing up to leave, her task completed. She leaves the door open as she leaves, calling out over her shoulder, "Yell if you need me."

I hate to admit it, but I actually do feel a bit more relaxed now. I'm able to concentrate on getting some work done for the rest of the morning. I work until lunch time when my growling stomach makes it hard to concentrate. I walk out to the main office to see if anybody else is hungry.

"I'm headed out to the Busy Bee for lunch, do you guys want anything?"

Ferg looks up from his computer screen, "Sure, Sheriff. I'll have the usual."

"Alright, how about you, Ruby?"

"Nothing for me, Walter. Thanks."

Vic looks up at me from her desk, "Can I come with you? I could use a break."

I smile down at her. "Sure."

I turn around and go back to my office for my hat and coat, and when I walk back out she's waiting at the door holding it open. I stop and put my arm out for her to go first. She grins at me and rolls her eyes as she steps in front of me.

Once I pull out of the station I look over at her to see that she has her hand outstretched in the middle seat and is looking at me expectantly. I grunt and grab her hand. I know better than to argue with her.

"You're relentless."

She's now grinning from ear to ear. "Get used to it."

"Boy howdy."

If that's all it takes to make her smile like that, I'd gladly hold her hand every day.


	13. Chapter 13

**_I'm glad you guys are enjoying Walt's side of the story, most of you seem to like this one better than Vic's! Here's the next chapter, it's a bit short, but more to come tomorrow! :)_**

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><p>It's another sleepless night at the cabin. Despite being a little more comfortable around Vic lately, I still haven't been sleeping very well.<p>

I'm wondering how long it's going to take her before she gives up on waiting for me and moves on. She's young, and there are plenty of other guys that could probably make her happy. Granted, there aren't a ton to choose from in Durant.

I'm trying to get my crap together, but I need more time. Vic is like a little firecracker for this old man, and I'm not sure I'm ready for that. Then again, I'm not sure I'm ready for her to give up on me just yet. She sure does make life interesting.

I'm laying on the couch reading a book when the phone rings.

I check the clock. 10:42 pm.

I lean over and pick up the receiver. "Hello?"

"Hey, it's me."

"What's wrong?"

"What? Why does something have to be wrong?"

"It's late, natural reaction."

She doesn't respond, which makes me nervous.

"Vic, what's going on?" I say as I sit up on the couch.

She waits a moment before replying. "Nothing, I can't sleep."

I let out a sigh of relief and lie back down. "Me either."

We fall into a comfortable silence, but I can hear her moving on the other end. It sounds like she's rolling around in her bed.

She finally speaks again. "I don't know why I called. I just wanted to hear your voice, I guess."

Vic is almost always honest, but rarely vulnerable. I have to smile at her openness. "I'm glad you did."

"Yeah?"

I nod my head like she's in the room with me. "Yeah."

We fall silent again.

There's so many things that I wish I could say to her. I want to tell her that I think I've known for awhile that I had feelings for her. I told myself that I cared too much for a woman that was married to another man, so I pushed those feelings away.

I want to tell her that I'm trying to sort out the doubts in my head as fast as I can. I'm just not sure that I can let go of the fact that she's so many years younger than me, and also that she's my deputy.

She interrupts my thoughts, "Actually Walt, umm…" She pauses briefly until she finds her words. "Well, I called because… I wanted you to know that I get nervous, too. When I'm away from you, I worry that things will be completely different the next time I see you."

She pauses, like she's waiting for me to reply. When I stay quiet she continues. "I get scared that this will all be over before it even really begins. It's probably crazy to worry about it, but I do. So I uh, I just wanted to let you know that it's not just you who's nervous about all of this. I'm not always as tough as I act."

I like that she's tough, it's one of my favorite things about her. I just wish she knew that she didn't have to be. Most of the time I think it's natural for her, that it's just part of her fierce personality, probably influenced by growing up in a household full of male cops. But sometimes I feel like she forces herself to act the part because that's what she thinks people expect from her.

"You don't need to be, you know."

"What, nervous or tough?"

I find myself smiling. "Both."

She pauses slightly. "Thanks."

I roll over on the couch so that I'm resting on my side. I'm picturing her laying in her bed, probably in sweats and some sort of Philly t-shirt. Her hair is in a messy ponytail. She's twirling stray hairs between her fingers, another habit she has when she thinks no one is watching.

I'm always watching.

I listen to her breathe for a couple minutes before speaking. "Feel better?"

"Yeah, I think so."

"Good, maybe we can both sleep now," I say as I fight back a yawn.

"I hope so. You need it, you looked like shit today."

I laugh. "Thanks for the honesty."

"Anytime." I can see her smiling all the way from my cabin. "Goodnight, Walt. I'll see you tomorrow?"

"You will. Goodnight."

She hangs up but I keep the phone up to my ear. I'm suddenly very tired, but I don't even get up and move to the bedroom. It's as if all I needed to fall asleep was hear voice. After being alone for so long, you start to forget how simply wonderful it is to say goodnight to someone you care about.

I close my eyes and imagine what it would be like to be next to her right now. Usually, I try not to think about Vic before I go to sleep. The hope is that if I'm thinking about something else, then I'll dream about that instead of her. But tonight I close my eyes and welcome her into my dreams with open arms.


	14. Chapter 14

The following day at the office was eventful, leaving no time to sit around and wallow in my thoughts. Ferg, Vic and I were all out and about on separate calls throughout the day, and I feel like I only saw Vic for a total of twenty minutes the entire day. Then when I got back to the office later in the afternoon, she had already gone home for the day. I headed out shortly after, stopping out at the Red Pony for some dinner before retiring to the cabin for the rest of the night.

Now it's just after 11 o'clock and I'm about to head to bed when I hear a knock on the door.

I open the it to find my beautiful deputy standing there nervously.

"Vic?" I can't explain it but her expression scares me a little. I look around to make sure she's alone.

"Hey, can I come in?" Her voice doesn't seem as panicked as she looks.

I relax a little. "Uhh, sure." Opening the screen door, I step aside and let her slip inside. "What's up?"

She walks in and stops in the middle of the room, looking back at me. "I can't sleep."

I frown. "I'm seeing a pattern starting to develop here."

She starts pacing back and forth in the living room. I'm not sure what to do or say, which also seems to be a pattern, so I just stand there and watch her silently. She looks like she wants to say something, but instead she just goes back and forth.

I wait.

I realize that this whole thing is my fault, and it makes me feel bad. I'm the one dragging my feet with this, not her. I'm trying to figure things out, but it's hard when I see her every day. I can't sort the feelings in my head out when she's around, she makes it too hard. I hate to stress her out like this but it's not fair to her if I dive into something I'm not ready for either.

I really do feel bad that I got us into this whole mess. "I guess it's probably my fault you can't sleep."

She snorts, and continues to pace. "Pretty much. I see you're not sleeping either."

I sleep. It's just not very restful sleep when she clouds my dreams. Even there I can't escape from her.

There doesn't seem to be an easy solution to our problem. Well, I guess I'm the one with the problem. "So, what do we do?"

"Well, we're both awake, I can think of a couple of things to pass the time," she smirks over at me as she continues to pace. I think she was kidding, but when I don't respond she stops in her tracks and looks over at me.

Of course I'd love to take her up on it, but I just can't. It's not fair to her.

She walks over and stops right in front of me. She reaches out and grabs the front of my shirt, running her hands over my chest. "That wasn't a no," she cocks her head to the side and looks up at me.

"I didn't say yes, either." I do that, remember? My mind tends to wander when she's around and I forget to speak.

She grins up at me. "Ok. You don't have to say anything." She reaches up and places a kiss at my jaw just by my ear. She locks her eyes on mine for a second as she moves to do the same at the other side of my face.

There's this other problem that I have. I'm not very good at telling her no.

She moves to my neck and I feel her tongue graze the skin. I grab her waist and try to push her back gently before this goes any further. I'm not ready for this. She grabs my hands with hers and continues on my neck.

"Vic."

"I told you not to say anything."

I move my hands from hers and try to push her back again but she stops me. "I know, but–"

She silences me with a kiss, and I want so badly to kiss her back but I freeze. She realizes I'm not returning her kiss and a few seconds later she pulls back and stares up at me, her eyes a little wide. I see the hurt in them and I instantly feel terrible. I don't want to keep letting her down.

She takes a deep breath and leans forward, resting her forehead on my chest, I'm assuming she does this to hide the tears that are starting to well up in her eyes. She speaks softly into my chest. "I'm sorry. I need to stop kissing you."

"It's okay." I don't like that she's sad now. I can't seem to do anything right. I bring my hands up and rub her shoulders gently.

"I'm not trying to pressure you… but sometimes I can't help it."

"It's not your fault, I'm pretty irresistible." I try to cheer her up.

She laughs into my chest, and it's a good sound.

She pulls her head back so she can look up at me. "If I promise to back off a little bit and give you time and space to think, will you do me a favor? No questions asked?"

I try and swallow the lump forming in my throat. "That sounds dangerous."

"It's not. Promise." Her eyes don't leave mine.

I might regret this, but I've already turned her down once and I can't bear to see disappointment on her face twice in one night. "What do you want?"

Her hands at my waist begin to tug at my shirt, untucking it from my jeans all the way around. I trust her when she said she would be backing off, but I can't stop my heart from racing at her touch. She starts at the top and undoes each button one by one. When she gets to the last button, she slides her hands slowly up my stomach. It's taking just about every ounce of will power I have not to kiss her right here. She continues her hands all the way up my chest so she can slide the shirt off of my shoulders. I bring my arms up a little allowing her to tug it the rest of the way off.

I realize that I've been holding my breath this entire time, and I let it out slowly as I watch her raise up my shirt and clutch it to her chest.

Does she even realize the effect she has on me?

She stares back at me for a few moments, her eyes locked on mine. "If I'm going to keep my promise, I better go."

She's probably right, my will power is lessening by the minute. I lean forward and kiss her gently on the forehead. "Goodnight, Vic."

"Goodnight." She walks towards the door, but once she reaches it she glances back at me. "Don't make me wait too long."

I nod my head and force a smile as I watch her walk back to her truck.

It's not until she's already driven down the street that I finally form a response.

"I'm trying not to, sweetheart."


	15. Chapter 15

It's been three days since Vic came to my house and left with my shirt.

We've been fine around each other at work and Vic has kept her promise and hasn't been pressuring me. We haven't even talked about anything non-work related. She seems sad. You'd think we'd be a perfect pair then, because I feel the same way. I hate myself for being the one to make her that way, but I just don't know how to fix things without going against everything I know.

I'm not in the mood to sit at the cabin by myself tonight, so I decide to head out to the Red Pony to drink my dinner. Henry hands me a beer when I arrive but then has to go wait on customers so I'm left here by myself for awhile. He comes back and gets me a second beer, but the next few I have to go behind the bar and get myself. By the time most people clear out after dinner, I have a good buzz going on.

Henry comes out and makes small talk when he's done bussing tables. He's acting a bit strange, but I don't have the energy to ask why. He disappears to the kitchen awhile later, leaving me alone again with my thoughts.

I've lost count on how many beers that I've had by the time Cady walks through the door.

"Dad. Hey!" She walks straight towards me and gives me a hug.

"Hey Punk. What's up?"

"Just came in to grab some food to take home. I'll have a beer with you before I go though." She smiles and sits down on the stool next to me.

Henry appears back behind the bar and smiles at his god-daughter. "Hello, Cady. Would you like a drink?"

"Yes, please, and the usual to-go." She beams up at him.

Henry turns to me, and seeing that my beer is almost empty, he grabs me another one.

I nod in acknowledgment, saying nothing. He stares back at me like he wants to say something, but he stays quiet. He turns and heads to the kitchen, coming back a couple minutes later with a burger and a plate of fries that he sets down in front of me.

"I didn't order this."

"Eat it anyway."

"I'm not hungry." I take another swig of my beer.

"What is it with the Sheriff's Department and liquid dinners lately?"

I'm not following. "What?"

"Vic came in here last week to drink her dinner, too. I made her eat some food and I will make you do the same."

I don't respond.

"What?" Henry glares at me.

"What?" I grumble back.

"You made a face."

"What face?"

"You scowled."

"I did not." I shove a couple fries in my mouth. I'm aware of Cady next to me looking back and forth from me to Henry, but she stays quiet.

"Yes, you did. You were not particularly cheery to begin with, but I mentioned Vic and you became even grumpier."

"Don't you have work to do, Henry?"

"I do not." He smiles faintly. "What is going on?"

"Nothing."

Cady decides to pipe in now. "How is Vic? I haven't seen her since the day after Henry's party."

I shrug.

Just then we hear the bar doors open, and all three of us turn our heads to the door to see Vic standing there like deer in a headlight.

She stands there for a moment staring at us before she speaks. "Hey," she finally mutters as she walks in our direction.

I nod my head, thinking about what perfect timing she has.

Cady gets up from her chair and meets Vic halfway, pulling her into a hug. "Vic, it's nice to see you!"

"Hey, how are you?"

"I'm good, we were just talking about you," my daughter says as she walks them over to where I'm sitting.

"Yeah? What about me?" Her voice is a little on edge.

Henry looks at me to see if I'm going to respond, but I'm not. "I was just mentioning that I hadn't seen you since last week when you came in for a liquid dinner." He smirks at her.

Cady chimes in next. "Yeah, and I haven't seen you since that day in the office, the day after Henry's party."

"That was an interesting day." I wasn't planning on entering the conversation, but it slipped out. I stare straight ahead at Henry and take a drink of my beer.

Everybody is silent for a few moments. "What happened?" Henry finally asks.

"She yelled at me."

I hear Vic scoff behind me. She asks Henry for a beer as she takes off her coat and sits down a few seats away from me. I still don't look over at her.

Henry looks at me, his eyebrows raised. He slides her a beer before turning back to me. "Why did she yell at you?"

"Because she,-" I start, but am interrupted by Vic.

"Walt." Her voice scolds me. "Are you drunk? Why are you bringing this up?"

I look over in her direction, but instead of responding I just take a sip of my beer.

"Why did she yell at you?" Henry prods.

"Because I was a gentleman and stopped a man from taking advantage of her when she was drunk at your party."

Henry raises his eyebrows, looking to Vic for confirmation.

"You don't know that he was taking advantage of me… we were just dancing, it was harmless."

Maybe she's right. I overreacted. "Maybe I shouldn't have stepped in then," I reply honestly as I finally make eye contact with her. That guy was a lot closer in age than I am, maybe she would have been better off going home with him that night.

"Maybe you shouldn't have." Her voice is cold, and I wonder if I've gone too far. She picks up her beer and stands up, "Excuse me."

She heads to the bathroom, and Cady and Henry stare back at me.

"Dad, what the hell is going on?"

"I don't know."

She shakes her head and heads into the bathroom after Vic.

"Was that really necessary?" Henry looks at me cooly.

"What?"

"I have never seen you talk to a woman like that, let alone a woman you have feelings for."

"Who says I have feelings for anybody?"

"I am not blind, Walt."

I don't feel like giving him the satisfaction of being right, so I don't say anything and instead take another drink of my beer.

"Walt."

"What."

"What happened after Vic yelled at you?"

I don't want to talk about this.

"Walt, I am trying to help. From where I am standing, you owe Vic an apology. If you tell me what is going on, maybe it will help me understand why you are acting like such an asshole."

I glare up at him. Bluntness is a trait that he and Vic share.

"She kissed me."

He nods like he assumed that has already happened. "And?"

"And… she said I was acting like a jealous boyfriend when I took her home that night."

"And were you? Jealous?"

I stare back at him, hoping that Cady and Vic come back any second so I don't have to talk about this anymore.

"Not by choice."

"I don't think anybody is ever jealous by choice, Walt."

I nod. "But I didn't have to act on it."

"I suppose not." He looks back at me for a minute before continuing. "So what happened after she kissed you?"

I sigh. "I kissed her back a few days later. I crossed the line."

He thinks about that, squinting his eyes at me. "So what now?"

"I don't know."

"Are you going to keep punishing Vic for the fact that you have feelings for her?"

"I am not punishing her."

"You could have fooled me."

I'm about to speak when the bathroom door opens and Cady and Vic come out of the bathroom.

"You can head outside, I'll grab your coat," my daughter says to Vic as they walk.

"It's okay. I'll get it," Vic mutters as she walks towards her coat that's on a chair about five feet from me. Her eyes find mine as she swings the coat over her shoulders.

Her eyes are a little bloodshot. She's been crying. I keep messing everything up. It kills me to see her like this, and know that I'm the one causing her pain. She only locks eyes with me for a few seconds, but it's enough to make me feel terrible. She turns to Henry and nods before heading towards the door.

Cady leans down into to me and whispers in my ear, but it's loud enough for everyone to hear. "I think you're going to regret this tomorrow, how you treated her. I'd start thinking of an apology now." She kisses me on the cheek and follows Vic out the door.

Would you believe it if I told you that when I came to the Red Pony tonight I thought that there was no way my mood could get any worse?

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><p><em><strong>Let me know what you think of this chapter! I didn't go too much into detail with Walt's thoughts here, as he's a little drunk and not really thinking about much, hence why he treats Vic crappy out of nowhere. Hope it makes sense! More chatting with Henry to come! :)<strong>_


	16. Chapter 16

I watch as Vic and Cady leave the bar. I didn't feel particularly great when Vic showed up at the bar, but now that she's gone I feel even worse.

I turn back to Henry. "Am I punishing her?"

His eyes soften. "Walt. Think of it like this." He leans forward and rests his elbows on the bar top. "How did you feel after Martha passed?"

"What? What does that have to do with anything?"

"Just answer the question."

I sigh. "I was sad. I didn't want to talk about it."

"Right, and that was okay. As much as we tried to help you, you could not help how you felt."

I'm not really following where he's taking this. "Okayyy…"

"The point is, Walt, that you cannot help how you feel about Vic."

"I can… I just… I just need more time."

"Walt. You can have all the time you want, but those feelings will still be there until you deal with them."

I take a drink of my beer. It's almost empty.

"You know Martha would want you to be happy, Walt."

"I know. Believe it or not, this has nothing to do with Martha."

"Then why are you torturing yourself, and her? What is so bad about having feelings for Vic?"

I glare up at him. "I think you know why."

"You think she is too young for you." He says as he nods his head.

"She is too young for me."

"Age is just a number, Walt."

I grunt. "Of course you would say that. I'm well aware you have no problem dating younger women."

He laughs. "That is because I do not see age, I see beauty."

I chuckle. "Yeah, right."

"Just like you cannot help that you have feelings for her, she cannot help her age. I think that if you let yourself go there, you will find that eventually you will forget that age was ever even an issue."

I don't say anything, I just nod. Maybe he's right.

He sees that my beer is empty and reaches to grab me a new one.

"Actually, I better switch to water if I'm going to be able to drive over there and apologize."

He smiles. "I think that is a good decision."

I let out a soft sigh and nod. I hate that he's right about everything. I know Martha would want me to be happy. I just never thought I'd actually find someone else that I felt that way about. I thought I already had the love of my life.

Then Vic came along.

I really do feel terrible about the way I treated her. I eat the food Henry brought out for me and start drinking water. Almost two hours pass before Henry agrees that I'm alright to drive.

I tap lightly on Vic door, but she takes a bit to answer, which makes me nervous. I feel terrible for the way I talked to her earlier. I stare down at my feet and try to prepare myself for the fact that she might not be too forgiving of me. I wouldn't blame her if she wasn't.

She opens the door, and I wait a few moments before I look up.

"Can I come inside?"

She turns her head back inside, "No." Instead, she pushes the screen door open and steps outside onto the porch. "Cady's sleeping on the couch." She lets out a shiver, and crosses her arms over her chest.

I wonder what they've been talking about for the last couple of hours. "Did you tell her about us?"

She shrugs. "I answered any questions she had."

I haven't talked to Cady about all of this yet. I wonder how she feels about the whole thing.

"Is there an us?"

"I think I want there to be."

"I need you to know before we go any further." Her voice is a little harsh, which I definitely deserve.

I nod my head. We stand there in silence for a moment and she takes a few steps forward and leans down on the railing, facing the street. I follow a minute later and lean up against the pole next to her.

"Vic, I'm sorry." There's so many things that I want to say.

"You don't have anything to be sorry for." Her tone is softer than it was before.

"Yes I do, I-" I start but she cuts me off.

"No, you don't. You have every right to deal with all of this however you can. You can't help how you feel."

She should be pissed at me. Why isn't she pissed at me?

"I shouldn't have brought all of that up in front of Cady and Henry, it should have been a private conversation."

She nods her head. "Yeah, that was a little harsh. But I'm a big girl, Walt, I can handle that."

"I shouldn't have been drinking." I know it's a cop out to blame my actions on the alcohol, but I don't think I would have talked to her the way I did if I wouldn't have been drinking.

She shrugs her shoulders and looks up at me with her golden eyes. "Sometimes it's nice to numb everything for a bit and not think about it all. I'm sure you just weren't expecting me to show up."

I wonder if that's what she was doing at Henry's party. Was she trying to numb everything then? Was she trying to numb her feelings for me?

"You know, I uhh, I didn't mean what I said about stepping in with that guy… I'm glad I took you home that night."

She's quiet for a moment, like she's replaying the events of that night in her head. She eventually nods. "Me too."

"I'm sorry I've been stalling." I mutter.

She drops her head and looks away from me. "It's okay. I can't force you to feel the same way I do."

Is that what she thinks? That I don't have the same feelings she does? I really need to work on explaining my feelings better. "It's not that."

It's not that at all. I thought I already had the love of my life. I thought these feelings would go away and wouldn't evolve into anything greater than companionship and a little physical attraction. I was wrong. The connection that I feel with Vic gets stronger every day.

"I wasn't ready for you, Vic. I never expected to feel like this again after losing Martha." I reach down and tough the side of her face, turning it towards me.

"You forced me to open my eyes when you kissed me that day. Ever since then, it's like I'm walking around in a fog and I don't know how to get out."

"And I've just been pushing you around in the fog." She frowns back at me.

"I just need to be able to see straight, and then you can go back to pushing me around."

That gets a little smile out of her.

We fall into another silence. The wind picks up a little and I see her shudder. I open my arms and invite her to step closer. "Come here."

She looks up at me longingly. Like she wants to fall into my arms but she's afraid to let herself.

"It's okay," I assure her.

She looks back at me for another moment before giving in. She rests her forehead on my chest as I wrap my arms around her, rubbing her back to try to warm her up.

I close my eyes. I wish time could stop right here for a little bit.

Her voice interrupts my dream state a couple minutes later. "I'm sorry that I've been pushing you."

"I'm sorry that I've been pushing back."

"Two stubborn idiots, what a pair we are." She shudders again, and brings her arms up into her chest so they're between us.

She pulls away a minute later. "I should probably get back inside."

I nod, even though I would rather stay out here all night. She deserves some space from me after the way I treated her earlier. "Okay."

"I'm off tomorrow, remember."

I nod, even though I didn't remember.

"You can call me if you need anything, but I think it'd do you some good not to see me for a day. It might help you think clearer." She drops her gaze from mine.

"I expect I'll think about you whether you're around or not," I reply honestly. Though I know what she means. It getting increasingly harder to concentrate when she's around.

She gives me a sad smile. "Goodnight, Walt."

"Goodnight, Vic." I keep my eyes on hers until she shuts the door.


	17. Chapter 17

The office is very quiet when Vic isn't in it. And when she's absent for the entire day, time drags on and on.

Luckily, the morning is rather busy with a few calls, keeping me and Ferg out and about. Before I know it, it's lunch time. Ferg offers to run out and get us some lunch today, so while I wait for him to come back I decide to lay down on the couch in my office.

I thought I was tired enough for a little power nap but once I lie down, my mind is completely alert.

Where do Vic and I go from here? I won't be able to live with myself if I continue to act the way I did last night. She doesn't deserve me taking her emotions on a roller-coaster like I've been doing.

Also, I don't think she'll put up with my crap much longer. Vic isn't really known for her patience. If I continue dragging my feet, she's going to get tired of waiting around.

I'm laying with my hat over my face when Ruby taps on the door frame. I don't look up.

"Walter, are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Ruby."

I hear her sit down in the chair in front of my desk. She doesn't say anything. We sit there in silence for a minute and then I hear her shift in her chair and cross her legs. She waits another minute or so before she speaks.

"Walter, why are you napping in the middle of the day?"

"I wasn't sleeping… I'm just thinking."

She waits a few more beats. "I see."

Silence.

"Is there anything you would like to talk about?"

I know exactly where she's going with this, but I'm not giving in that easily. "What did you have in mind?"

"We could start with what's going on between you and Vic." It's a statement, not a question.

I sit up on the couch and stare back at her, giving her my best poker face. "Why do you say there's something going on?"

"I have my reasons," is her only reply. She uncrosses her legs and crosses them the other way as she turns towards me in her chair.

"Did Vic say something to you?" I narrow my eyes back at her. I can't imagine that she did but I'm not sure what else to say at this point, so I'll just continue to play dumb.

"She didn't have to. I do have eyes you know. You two have been acting strange around here lately."

I nod. "Oh."

"You have feelings for her, don't you?"

As much as I don't want to talk about this right now, I can't lie to Ruby. I sigh and nod my head solemnly.

"I thought so. I've thought so for a while now."

"You did?"

She nods her head and smiles. "You didn't think you could keep that from me, did you?"

I laugh. "Could you have told me? I only figured it out myself a couple weeks ago."

She giggles. "Well, what fun would that be?" She pauses briefly. "Anyway, you would have just denied it… until you were ready."

I sigh and nod because I know she's right. Ruby really is a wise woman. I'm lucky to have had her by my side all these years.

"So, are you ready now?"

I wish I had an answer for that. "I'm not sure."

She stares back at me and tilts her head slightly. "Walter, Martha would want you to be happy, you know that."

"Yeah, I know."

A smile creeps on her face. "I think Martha would have liked Vic."

I smile at the thought of that, too. She's right, Martha would have gotten along with Vic well. Martha was a sweetheart by nature, but much like Vic, she also was extremely honest. She was not afraid of saying exactly what was on her mind. However, unlike Vic, she was never vulgar. She wouldn't have been bothered by Vic's language though, it actually would have amused her.

"So what's the problem, Walter?" Ruby interrupts my thoughts.

I take a deep breath before blurting it out. "She's half my age, Ruby."

She glares back at me. "Walter, you know as well as I do that she is not half your age."

"Yeah, well…I'm an old man compared to her."

She nods and stares back at me. "I can see how you would feel like that."

Ruby is the first person who hasn't made me feel crazy for worrying about the age difference.

"But…" she continues.

Here we go.

"Maybe that's what you need."

"What do you mean?"

"You may not be able to see it, but Vic brings something out in you. She livens you up."

I don't know what to say to that, so I just stare back at her.

"It was Vic who pulled you back into work the year after Martha passed away. She was the one who kept you moving, even if she didn't do it consciously."

I never thought about it like that until now.

"Vic needs someone her own age, Ruby. Someone who can keep up with her."

"Why don't you let her decide what she needs? You should do the same, you know. Figure out what you need, Walter."

We're both silent for another moment.

"Just think about it." She smiles as she gets up and makes her way to the door.

"Thanks, Ruby."

"You're welcome," she says as she shuts the door gently behind her.

I lie back down on the couch and place my hat back over my face.

What do I need?

* * *

><p><em><strong>This one's a short one, but I couldn't resist putting in a little heart to heart with Ruby. I just love her, bless her heart!<strong>_


	18. Chapter 18

I get a late start to the office today. I was actually able to sleep pretty good last night and I didn't wake up as early as I normally do. It's almost 9 o'clock before I head to the office.

I'm sitting at the only stoplight in Durant, when Martin Clark pulls up next to me and indicates for me to roll my window down.

"What's up, Martin?"

"Hey Walt, I just came from my house. You might want to head out to Marcy and John Hopper's."

"Uh oh."

"Yeah, they're in another argument, have been for a while now this morning. You better hurry."

My light turns green. "Okay, thanks Martin."

"You bet," he says as he drives off.

I hurry to the station and go upstairs to get Vic. If I remember correctly, Ferg is off today.

"Vic, I need you," I say as soon as I get through the door.

She looks up from her desk where she's reading something, her eyes are a little wide. "What?"

"I ran into a problem on my way in this morning. We need to head out to the Hopper house. They're having another fight."

She pauses for a brief moment, before grabbing her jacket. "Let's go."

On the way there I tell her what Martin told me, and the only thing she says is, "This outta be interesting."

We pull up to the house, and just like last time, you can hear Marcy screaming at her husband. She's not throwing anything this time, though.

When we get closer to the house, we can see that Marcy is standing in the middle of the living room, pointing a gun at the corner of the room, in the same spot that John was hiding the last time.

I hear Vic gasp slightly behind me, and we immediately draw our weapons.

I reach the door before Vic. "Marcy. It's the sheriff. Is everything okay in there?"

"IS EVERYTHING OKAY?!" She bellows. "Are you out of your damn mind?! Everything is not okay!"

"Marcy, I'm coming in. Do not shoot." I glance back at Vic, she nods at me indicating that she has my back. I holster my gun and gently push the door open.

Marcy glances at both of us as we enter, but she keeps the gun pointed at John.

"Sheriff, you have to do something. She's gonna kill me!" John cries from the corner of the room.

I put my hands in the air, showing Marcy that my gun isn't out. Nobody has to get hurt today. I ease my way into the middle of the room, putting myself in-between her and John.

"Marcy, what happened? When I checked back on you last week everything had been sorted out."

"What happened is that I decided to give this piece of shit another chance." She waves the gun at me, well, rather at John. "He wouldn't move out so I was going to, and he begged me to stay and work things out. So instead of throwing 22 years of marriage out the window, I decided to stay and try to forgive him." I can see tears starting to well in her eyes.

"And what changed?" I ask softly.

"Nothing changed! He's still screwing that damn stripper! Why ask me to stay if you're going to keep your girlfriend on the side?!" She's sobbing now.

"Baby, I'm sorry. I'm trying!" I'd really like to clock John right about now.

"Marcy. I want you to put the gun down."

She shakes her head, but doesn't say anything.

"Marcy, I'm not going to let you hurt John. If you aim your gun, my partner over here is going to shoot you before you can pull the trigger." I point over at Vic, whose gun is pointed at Marcy. "I don't want you to get hurt either, Marcy."

"I want him to hurt, he doesn't care at all!"

I nod. I feel so bad for her; her husband is a sorry excuse for a man. "I know. But if you put the gun down, I promise I will make sure John moves out for good and leaves you alone."

She looks up at me and narrows her bloodshot eyes. "How can you do that?"

"I will tell the judge that I'm concerned for the safety of both of you if you continue to live in the same house. I can put you in touch with a good divorce lawyer and you can have a clean separation." I take a step towards her, my hands still raised. "Nobody needs to get injured today, Marcy."

Marcy doesn't say anything for a minute, she just stands there and sniffles as she looks at the gun in her hand. Eventually she nods and lowers it.

I let out the breath that I've been holding, and step forward to take the gun from her. She looks up at me, her face distraught, and I instinctively pull her into a hug. She sobs louder at my touch, but she clings to me. We stand there for a few minutes, and by the time I get her to calm down, Vic has already ushered John outside with a few of his things.

I promise Marcy that I will make an appointment with a lawyer as soon as I get back to the station. She seems relieved, but she's still pretty sad. I assure her that things will get better.

Vic and I drive in silence as we drop John off at the motel. She speaks as I'm pulling out of the model parking lot. "Poor Marcy. I hope she never has to see John again."

I don't respond. I'm too busy thinking about what just happened. It felt so good back there to comfort Marcy, and I did it without even thinking about it. I'm sure it's not very professional for a sheriff to hug an armed suspect, but she needed one. She needed a hug, and I wanted to comfort her.

It really is that simple. I'm tired of over-thinking everything.

"Where are we going?" Vic's looking around outside.

When I left the motel, I started driving in the opposite direction of the station.

"Walt?"

"I need to do something at my cabin before we head back to the station."

"Ohhkaaaay." She stares at me like I'm about the most difficult person she knows.

I pull up to my cabin a few minutes later and get out of the truck. She doesn't budge and I go around to her side and open her door.

She stares up at me in confusion. "What?"

"I need you to come inside." I grab her by the hand as she clumsily unbuckles her seat belt.

"Walt, what's going on?" I don't let go of her hand until we're inside.

I shut the door and begin pacing as she stares at me, I'm sure wondering what the hell is wrong with me.

I need to do this before I lose my nerve. I march over to her and pull her face to mine before kissing her like I've wanted to for months. I can tell she's a bit taken back at first, but then reacts quickly. She's kissing me back just as urgently, and grabbing at my waist pulling me closer.

A minute later, she tries to pull away and say something, but I'm not ready for that yet. She only gets out part of my name before I crush my lips to hers again.

A few moments later she reaches up and grabs my face, slowly pushing me back. She stares back at me with a bit of amusement. "As much as I would love for this to continue, I need you to use your words. What's happening?"

"I realized I was John."

She cocks her head at me. "Are you sleeping with a stripper?"

Of course she would make a joke right now.

"I asked you to stay. And then I screwed everything up." I'm tired of causing people pain, especially her. I bring a hand up to her face and stroke her cheek gently.

"You didn't ask me to stay," she replies. "You told me you wanted me to stay and I stayed because I wanted to."

"Yeah, just like Marcy. I asked you to stay but gave you nothing in return after you decided to stay."

She's silent for a few moments before she responds. "Don't you get it? The fact that you wanted me to stay was the exact thing that made staying here actually worth something."

I shake my head. No, that's not enough. I have no right to want her to stay if I'm not going to do make her happy about staying. "I don't want to end up like Marcy and John."

"We're nothing like them, I promise. I'm not going anywhere. I chose to stay and I chose to wait." She stares back at me, and I believe her. Her eyes don't look sad like they have lately.

I'm not going anywhere either, so what am I waiting for exactly? I lift my hand up to her face and run my thumb across her bottom lip.

"I don't want to make you wait anymore."

Her eyes grow wide, and she stares back at me for a minute before her mouth curls into a smile. I lean down and pull her into another kiss, but this one's slow and gentle. Moving my hands to her waist, I push her back a few feet up against the door. She has just moved her hand up to the side of my face when her cell phone rings.

She lets out a soft moan as she pulls on my neck, not wanting to let me go. "Let it ring," she mutters in between kisses.

With my lips still on hers, I reach around to the back pocket of her jeans and grab her phone. "It could be important."

It's the number to the station, so I bring the phone up to my ear. "Longmire."

"Oh, good it's you! There's a lawyer here waiting to talk to you, are you expecting him? I told him you should be back shortly."

"Yeah… okay. We're on our way, Ruby. We'll be back soon."

I hang up the phone and place it back in Vic's pocket. I let out a sigh of contentment and rest my forehead on hers. I feel lighter, the giant weight that I've been carrying around is gone.


	19. Chapter 19

_**Who's ready for some lovin'? ;)**_

* * *

><p>"Are you sure we have to go? Can't we both be sick for the rest of the day?" Vic whines as she runs her hands over my chest.<p>

God, she's cute. "We can't. We have to get everything situated with the the Hoppers."

She brings one hand up the side of my face. "Right, the Hoppers… who we are nothing alike." She stares back at me, her tone serious.

I nod. "We should get going," I say as I begin to step away from her and reach for the door.

She pulls me back, hanging onto me. "Wait… One more." She locks her lips to mine for a tender slow kiss that makes me wish I wouldn't have answered that phone call. She pulls back and gazes up at me, smiling ear to ear. I'm about to pull away when she stops me again, giving me another peck on the lips. "Okay, now we can go." She grins as she turns and heads outside.

On the drive in, I reach over and grab her hand. I see her smile out of the corner of my eye and I can feel her staring at me. "And you're holding my hand, too?!"

I shoot her a look.

"Who are you and what have you done with Walt?!" She's trying to hold back a laugh.

"Don't mock me. It makes me nervous."

She squeezes my hand and giggles once more but doesn't say another word until we get to the station. Once I'm parked, she leans over to my side and gives me a quick kiss and a smile before climbing out of the Bronco and strutting upstairs. Does she always walk like that or does she have an extra pep in her step now?

The rest of the day is spent making arrangements for the Hoppers. The lawyer was waiting for me when I got in, and he thinks that we'll be able to get a clean divorce for Marcy and John. I smile at the the thought of Marcy getting away from him. No woman deserves to be treated like that. Ever.

I was going to call Vic into my office in the afternoon and ask if she wanted to come over for dinner tonight, but she ended up getting called out for a few things, and still wasn't back by 5 o'clock. I scribble 'Dinner 7:00 at the cabin' on a post-it note and leave it on her deck and decide to head home early so I can pick up some groceries on the way.

I decide to make barbecue chicken and asparagus. I get the chicken started as soon as I get back to the cabin, and run in to shower quick before finishing everything else. After showering, I ruffle through my closet looking for the new pair of jeans that Cady bought me a while back that I hadn't gotten around to wearing yet. With the jeans, I find a couple new shirts that are also brand new, I didn't even know about these. I settle on a dark green button-up.

I head back out and check on the chicken. When it's almost 7 o'clock I decide to put the asparagus on, assuming that Vic will be here shortly. A few minutes pass and she's not here yet, so I decide that I have time to light a few candles. Women like candles, right?

I'm in the kitchen rummaging through the cupboards looking for the fancy plates that Martha used to have for special occasions when I hear a light tap on the door. "Walt?"

She's right on time. "Come on in!"

"Hey." She says softly.

I smile at the sight of her. It always amazes me how she can make jeans and a t-shirt look so good. "Hey, you made it."

She smiles briefly, before looking down at her clothes. "Yeah, except I think I need to go home and change into something a bit nicer."

"What? Why?"

"Well, look at you. You're all dressed up."

I knew it was too much. I look down at my outfit, figuring I look ridiculous.

"Are we going anywhere?"

I glance back at the oven where the chicken is baking and then back to her. "No, I thought we'd just eat here."

"Then go change," She says as she nods her head in the direction of the bedroom.

Is she serious?

"Walt, you look nice, but you look uncomfortable." She walks over to me and puts her arms around my waist before looking up at me earnestly. "You don't have to dress up for me, I don't care what you wear."

"Are you sure?"

She smiles and nods. "We've known each other for a few years already, you don't have to try to impress me. Just relax." She stands on her tip toes so she can kiss me on the nose.

I nod and take a deep breath. Relax. I can do that.

She steps away from me and walks to the stove. "Go and change if you want to, I'll watch the food."

I nod and head into the bedroom, slipping on the same jeans I wore earlier today and a fresh denim shirt.

I feel much more comfortable after changing, and we're able to enjoy our dinner. After we're done eating, we head to the couch to relax. I flip through the channels as Vic lays down and puts her head in my lap. There isn't really anything good on besides The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, which is what I settle on, even though I have no idea if she is a John Wayne fan or not.

Once I set down the remote, I stop for a moment trying to figure out where to rest my hand. I think Vic notices my dilemma because she reaches up and grabs it, intertwining our fingers. She pulls my hand down and lays it right on top of her chest.

I don't know why this makes me nervous, but it does. I almost feel like a teenager again. Do you know how long it's been since I've been on a first date? I know it shouldn't feel like a first date because I've known Vic for a few years, but still, I don't know how to do this.

I shift my body a little in an attempt to move our hands. She realizes what I'm doing and looks up at me, letting out a soft chuckle.

"What's going on in that head of yours?"

I sigh in frustration. "Everything. I don't know what I'm doing."

She sits up and flips around so she's sitting next to me with her legs stretched out over my lap. "There's no right or wrong way to do this, Walt. We can approach us however you want."

I consider this. What I want is for this not to be awkward anymore. "What do you want to do?'

She leans back on the couch and stretches her arm out so her hand rests at the back of my neck. She looks back at me for a few moments before replying. "I don't think you're ready for what I want." Her tone isn't flirty, just honest. She idly plays with the hair at the back of my head.

I don't care if I'm ready or not, I'm tired of waiting but I'm too nervous to make the first move. "Don't worry about what I'm ready for."

She stares back at me, trying to process what I'm hinting at. "I need help shutting my brain off."

She only waits another moment before she leans her body forward to swing her leg around me to straddle my lap. I stare back into her golden browns as she runs her hands through my hair, a slight smile on her face. She leans in and kisses my face, right at my jawline. She places a trail of kisses all the way around to the other side, sending chills down my spine. Her hands that were still playing in my hair move to start at the buttons of my shirt. Once she gets the top few buttons undone, she bends down and kisses the middle of my chest. Involuntarily, my heart starts to race. She continues with little kisses trailing back up my neck and ending at my chin. Holding my face with both of her hands, she locks her eyes to mine.

After a few moments, she lowers her face to mine and pulls on my bottom lip briefly before crushing her lips to mine. The moment her lips touch mine, I lose myself. I can't get enough of her.

I'm confused when after a minute she pulls away, the smile gone from her face. She reaches down and pulls her shirt up over her head.

Her eyes stop on for a few seconds before she speaks. "Do you want me to stop?"

God, no.

I can't form a sentence, so I simply shake my head as I move my eyes down to her smooth skin. My hands are at her waist, caressing her stomach with my thumbs. I feel her shudder slightly at my touch. She finishes unbuttoning my shirt and slides it off my shoulders. I clumsily work at the button on her jeans as her lips find mine. I'm not as good at multitasking as she is; it takes me a good ten seconds to unbutton hers when she undoes my jeans in one swift motion.

She's kissing me like it's the first and last time she'll ever have the chance.

I allow my hands to roam her body, feeling the toned muscles of her back. I slip my hand down into the back of her jeans, and she pulls her head back, letting out a soft moan. I move my mouth down to her neck as I wrap my other arm around her and flip her down on the couch.

She smiles up at me as I pull off her jeans before slipping out of my own. I see her body shiver, and I'm not sure if it's because she's cold or because she's anxious. I grab the blanket hanging on the back of the couch and swing it over top of us as I lower myself on top of her, careful not to give her all of my weight.

She stares up at me and I brush the hair off of her face so I can see her better. Her eyes are actually glowing.

She breaks our gaze by lifting her head up, searching for my mouth. Making love with Vic is like everything and nothing that I've ever imagined, both of us hungry for the other's touch, but not wanting to rush it. Vic's gentleness and sensuality is a surprise, one that I could explore all night long. This essentially is what happens; it's sometime in the middle of the night when she falls asleep, her bare chest on mine.

I don't even care anymore if falling in love with my deputy is normal or not. After tonight I welcome it with open arms.


	20. Chapter 20

Do you ever have one of those days where you literally wake up smiling? Before you even open your eyes to look at your surroundings and remember where you are?

That happens to me today.

I'm lying on the couch, and as I start to wake up I feel Vic on my chest. I lay there and listen to her breathe for a minute before I open my eyes. She has her head on my chest, and her hair is sprawled about.

I fall back asleep, still smiling.

When I wake up again, it's because I feel a tiny finger tracing little circles on my chest. When I open my eyes, I see that she's still in the same position as before. I shift my body slightly to let her know I'm awake. She cranes her neck back to look at me.

"Hey," I mutter, my voice a little scratchy.

"Hey yourself," she says through a smile.

I clear my throat, and wish I had a glass of water. "How did you sleep?"

"Alright, though I don't think we got much sleep." She flashes a toothy grin.

I can't help but laugh. "I guess we didn't, did we?"

I reach down and brush a piece of hair out of her eyes and tuck it behind her ear. How can she look so beautiful first thing in the morning?

"I'm not complaining." She shifts her body and reaches up for a kiss.

She lays her head back down on my chest and is asleep within minutes. I need to get up and get something to drink, so I carefully slip out from underneath her. She stirs a little bit but falls back to sleep almost instantly. I slip my jeans on and head to the kitchen.

I barely have time to put on a pot of coffee and drink a glass of water when the phone rings. I scramble across the room trying to silence the phone before it wakes Vic up.

"Hello?" I try to talk quietly but not quite whisper.

"Dad, hey!"

"Hey, Punk. What's up?"

"I'm just getting ready for work, what are you doing?"

"Oh, nothing. I just put a pot of coffee on." I glance back at the couch to see if I've woken Vic, which I have. She's lying on her side propping herself up with an elbow, looking at me curiously.

"I was going to see if you wanted to eat breakfast, I could come by and make us something?" She says cheerfully.

Oh, no. She can't see Vic here.

"Oh, uhh… well actually I'm heading into work soon." I pause briefly. "How about you come over for dinner tonight? I'll make your favorite."

I make a mental note to buy stuff to make lasagna.

"I'd love to. I'll come over around 8."

"Okay, great. I'll see you tonight."

"Have a good day at work, Dad!"

I smile and nod, like she's here to see me. "Okay, I will. Bye."

I'm very aware of the fact that Vic is awake and heard our conversation, but I don't look in her direction as I walk back to the kitchen. I pour myself a cup of coffee and take a quick sip before setting it down on the counter that I'm leaning on.

After a wonderful night last night, it's back to the real world today. I haven't even had time to process my night with Vic yet and I'm already hiding it from my daughter. I should have known that I wouldn't be able to shut my brain off completely.

I hear Vic approaching me, and she lifts herself up to sit on the counter next to me.

"What's wrong?" Her voice is quiet.

I take a deep breath and try to figure out how to respond, but she speaks again before I can form a sentence.

"Come here."

I take another breath as I turn my head sideways to look up at her. She's wearing nothing but my shirt, and is gesturing for me to move closer to her. I oblige, and move in front of her as I rest my hands on her bare thighs.

"We're in this together now, Walt. Whatever it is you're thinking, you can tell me."

"I don't know how to act now." I decide to just blurt it out.

"You mean the morning after we just had sex?" She asks seriously.

I lift my head up to look at her. "That's not what I mean. All of those nerves are gone after last night," I say as I lean forward to kiss her chest.

"Good." She rests her hands on my shoulders, rubbing them gently, pausing briefly. "Cady wanted to come over here this morning, didn't she?"

"Yeah." I feel bad for how I dealt with Cady on the phone, steering her away from the cabin so quickly.

"And you're not ready to tell her yet."

She moves her hands from my shoulders up to the back of my head, running her fingers through my hair. She's silent for a minute before she continues.

"We can act normal at work, Walt, and in public. We don't have to tell anyone."

I look up at her in surprise. I was expecting her feelings to be hurt. "Really?"

"Of course. I didn't figure you completely changed your mind on what bothered you about us in the first place. I'm still the same age, and you're still my boss."

I nod. I was stupid to think that I could push all that away in one night.

"It's okay. Nobody has to know."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, it's fine." She smiles down at me. I'm looking for a hint of deception in her voice but it's not there. "I'm hoping we can eventually tell people, but when you're ready."

"Okay."

Is it possible that she is this amazing and understanding?

"Now quit sulking, you're putting a damper on my morning after." She pokes me in the chest playfully.

Apparently it is possible. "Yes ma'am," I say through a kiss, as my hands find their way under her shirt.

She lets out a soft moan as my hands touch her bare skin. "Mmm," she manages in between breaths. "This… is a," breath, "much better," breath, "good morning."

I enjoy the affect I have on her when I take charge. I lift her off the counter and carry her into the bedroom for short encore of last night.

We make it into the office a couple hours later. I headed in first while Vic went home to shower and grab her uniform.

Work was steady busy, with calls throughout the day. Vic spent most of the morning and afternoon with Ferg, but she accompanies me on the last call of the day.

"What do you have planned for tonight?" I look over at her in the passenger seat.

"Absolutely nothing, and I plan to enjoy it." She fakes a yawn, "I'm a little tired, someone kept me up late last night." She gives me a devilish grin.

I can't help but laugh. "I don't know who would do such a thing."

"You're having Cady over for dinner, right?"

"Yep."

"That'll be fun."

I nod. "Yep."

I don't know yet if I'm going to bring up Vic to Cady or not. I'm not embarrassed by her or anything, I'm just not sure I'm ready for everyone to know yet.

Baby steps, right?

"You know, I don't think you have to be worried about Cady. I don't think she has a problem with us."

I think back to the night Cady went home with Vic, and I wonder exactly what they talked about. "Did she say that?"

"Well not in those exact words, but when she was at my house the other night, she was the one asking questions about us and none of it seemed to bother her."

"Oh."

"Apparently, she thought that there was already something going on between us but you just weren't ready to tell her yet. Imagine that."

I frown back at her.

She reaches over and grabs my hand. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that. You're not ready to tell her, and she obviously understands that. Otherwise, she would have asked you about me a long time ago."

I nod, understanding what she's saying. "I know. I want to tell her." I pause, thinking about how to word this next part. "But I also want to keep you to myself for a bit."

I could look at her smile all day long.

"Even after people find out about us, I'm still all yours, you know."

I nod, turning my attention back to the road. "I know."

I'm counting on it.


	21. Chapter 21

_**Here's a new scene for ya! A little father/daughter bonding :)**__**  
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><p>After I leave the office for the day, I stop at the grocery store to get stuff to make lasagna for Cady. I also pick up a six pack of beer.<p>

I had just put the lasagna in the oven when I see Cady pull up. She's about an hour early.

I step out on the porch to greet her. "Hey, Punk."

"Hey, sorry I'm early! I got done with work and decided just to come straight here."

"No problem. I just put the lasagna in. "

"Yum, I can't wait." She grins ear to ear like she always did when she was little and we had lasagna.

"Don't get too excited. Your mother's was better than mine."

She looks over at me as she walks into the house. "Is it the same recipe?"

"The exact same recipe."

She laughs.

"I'm convinced she had a secret ingredient that she didn't tell anyone about."

She laughs harder. "That sounds like Mom."

When she smiles she looks so much like her.

I head to the fridge and grab a couple of beers. "You wanna sit out side for a bit? It's nice out." I ask as I hold up a beer.

"Sure." There's that smile again.

We head out to the porch and sit on the steps. I ask her about her day at work and she talks about the people that she works with, but not about any of the cases she's working on. She seems to like her job, which makes me happy. She says a bunch of the coworkers get together from time to time for drinks, and I wonder if any of these coworkers are men her age.

"Do you work with any eligible young bachelors?"

She raises her eyebrows at me and takes a drink of her beer. "Eligible young bachelors?" Now she's laughing at me.

"Why is that funny? I'm just trying to see if there's anyone at work that you're interested in."

She laughs again lightly. "I guess I just never thought I'd hear you use the term eligible young bachelor."

"You're dodging the question."

A coy smile appears on her face. "There may or may not be someone at work that I could possibly be interested in."

I laugh. "I see. And have you gone out on a date with this hypothetical man?"

"Not just the two of us, no. He's part of the group that gets together for drinks."

"I see."

"I'm not in any rush. We'll see what happens."

I nod and look out towards the sunset. "Don't wait too long."

Out of the corner of my eye I see her turn her head in my direction, but she waits a few moments before she speaks.

"Maybe you need to take your own advice, Dad."

Taking a drink of my beer, I realize I probably walked right into that one.

"I know I just asked you about your relationship, but I'm your father, I'm allowed to do that. I'm not really comfortable talking to you about my love life, even if you are a grown woman."

She smirks at me for a few seconds before replying. "So you do have a love life?"

I walked right into that one too. I'm really not very good at this whole talking thing.

"You know what I mean."

"How is Vic?"

I stare back at her as I try to keep my expression neutral.

"She's good, I guess."

"Did you two patch things up after the other night?"

I nod my head. "Yes. I apologized."

"And she forgave you?"

I smile. "I think so."

"Good."

I take a sip of my beer. "Yeah."

We sit in silence for a couple of minutes before she turns and faces me.

"Okay, I know you want me to stay out of it, but can I just say one thing please and then I'll drop it?" She looks at me expectantly.

I take another drink of my beer. "Go ahead."

"I just want you to know that I don't have any problem with you and Vic… if there is a you and Vic."

I start to say something but she puts a hand up and cuts me off.

"Just wait. I know you Dad, I know you're worried about her age."

How is it that everyone can read me like a book?

"But I just want you to know that it doesn't bother me, that she's so close to my age. The thought was a little weird at first, but then I saw how you two are together and it makes more and more sense as time passes. If she makes you happy, that's all that I care about."

I don't say anything, and she reaches over and kisses me on the cheek.

"Okay, that's all I wanted to say. We can change the subject now."

I smile. "Thank you."

We sit outside for a big longer and enjoy the sunset until the lasagna is done.

After dinner, once Cady has cleared her plate, I ask her for the verdict.

"So… how was it?"

"It was good!"

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. Not as good as Mom's though, you're right."

"I knew I wasn't just crazy," I say as I shake my head.

She laughs. "Maybe you should ask Vic, she's Italian right? Maybe her family has a secret ingredient."

I chuckle. "I never thought about that."

"Ask her!… And I hate to eat and run, but I really should get going."

"That's okay, punk. Thanks for coming over."

"Thanks for the invitation," she says as she gives me a hug and a kiss on the cheek. "If I don't see you the rest of the week, I'll see you at Henry's party this weekend right?"

I nod as I walk her to the door. "Yep."

"Good." She beams. "Goodnight, Dad."

"Goodnight, punk." I stand out on the porch and watch her drive away.

I spend the rest of the night on the couch reading and drinking a few more beers. When I start to get a little tired, I grab the phone and dial a familiar number, one that I'll never admit to having memorized.

She picks up on the fourth ring. "Hey."

"Hey, it's me."

She lets out a laugh. "You're cute. I know it's you, Walt. I have your number in my phone."

"Oh… right. What are you doing?"

"Laundry."

I smile. "How very domestic of you."

"Shut up. What are you doing?"

"Reading."

She laughs. "Figures."

Now I laugh. "And drinking."

"Ahh, I see. Walt Longmire, this isn't a booty call is it?" She asks flirtatiously.

"No," I say through a laugh. "I was just calling to say hi before I went to bed."

She's silent for a few moments. "Hi."

I smile and lie back on the couch as I prop my feet up on the coffee table. "Hi."

"How was your dinner with Cady?"

"It was good. We had lasagna."

"Yum."

"Yeah, it's missing an ingredient though."

She laughs. "What do you mean it's missing an ingredient?"

"Well it's Martha's recipe. I follow it to a tee, but it never tastes as good as hers did."

She doesn't respond right away, and I wonder if I've made a mistake by bringing up Martha.

"I think she had a secret ingredient that she didn't tell anyone about."

She laughs. "Sneaky. I like her style. I'm sure yours still tasted fine, though."

"Yeah, it was okay. Cady could tell it tasted different, too. She said I should ask if your family knew any lasagna secrets."

"I was never very good in the kitchen. If I think of it, I'll ask my mom the next time I talk to her."

I laugh lightly. "Thanks."

"Hey Walt?"

"Yeah?"

"What are you wearing?"

"Nothing."

"Nothing, huh?"

"Nothing plus jeans and a t-shirt."

"Well there goes my fantasy."

I start to laugh but it turns into a yawn. It must be contagious because in a few seconds she yawns as well.

"I should probably head to bed, I had a big night last night."

"We both did."

I smile for a moment before I respond. "Yeah, you should probably get some sleep, too."

"I will, I'm heading there after I finish folding this last load of clothes."

"Okay, I'll see you in the morning."

"Yeah. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Vic."

"Walt?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for calling," she says sincerely.

"Thanks for answering."

She laughs. "Goodnight." She makes a kissing sound in the phone before hanging up.

It was definitely a good night. Not as good as last night, but it was a good night.


	22. Chapter 22

_**I know I usually post early in the day but I forgot! I'm sure you'll forgive me as this is a completely new scene :) At this point in Vic's story I jumped ahead about a week, so here's a new scene from that period. I hope you enjoy it!**_

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><p>I'm lying in bed almost asleep when I hear a knock on the front door. Checking the clock, I see that it's 12:07 am. I hop out of bed and walk to the door wearing just my flannel pajama pants.<p>

When I open the door I see a beautiful blonde standing there shivering slightly in the cold, her golden eyes staring up at me.

I don't say anything at first, I just smile at her.

She grins sheepishly back at me. "My bed was cold."

"Come on in." I open the door and move to the side to allow her room.

She walks in and goes straight into my bedroom.

It's been so long since I've been in a relationship, is this how they work now?

I shut the door and follow after her. When I get in there, she's already climbing under the covers. I stop by the bed and smile down at her.

"That's my side."

She lets out an exaggerated sigh and shimmies herself under the covers to the other side of the bed, allowing room for me to climb in. I lie down on my side facing her.

We lie there and stare at each other for a couple minutes in silence. She's smiling in amusement.

"Miss Moretti, is this a booty call?"

She scoffs. "I can't believe you think I would do that!" She grins like she has something up her sleeve.

"Uh huh."

"I should be offended."

I laugh lightly and stare back at her as she lays on her side of the bed. She has one arm folded up under her pillow.

"Are you sure this isn't a booty call?"

She raises an eyebrow at me. "Why do you think this is a booty call?"

I shrug my shoulder. I feel a little silly now. "I don't know. I don't know how this whole dating thing works. It's been a while."

"Is that what we are, dating?" She grins back at me.

"I guess so."

"Well, let me help you out. When a couple is dating, they're allowed to spend the night with each other without having sex. It's not like a daily requirement, you know."

I frown over at her. "I know that. That's not what I meant."

"I know, I'm just giving you shit."

She brings her hand up from under the covers and intertwines it with mine.

"I just wanted to be with you, that's all."

I don't really know what to say so I just smile back.

"Is it weird that I just showed up?"

I shake my head. "No. I just wasn't expecting it."

She stares back at me.

"I haven't been in a new relationship in a long time. I forget how it all works."

She smiles. "Well, you're doing just fine."

"Thank you."

She yawns, and I can feel her warm breath on my face.

I smile. She's even cute when she yawns.

She leans over and kisses me slowly for a few moments before pulling her head back to look at me. "Goodnight."

I lean in and kiss her once more. "Goodnight."

She moves back to her pillow but scoots it a little bit in my direction so she's snuggled in close to my chest. She lets out a sigh and an, "Mmmm," and that's the last noise she makes before she falls asleep.

When I wake up in the morning, I'm alone in the bed. I roll over and look out into the living room but I don't see her there either. Within a few moments, whether she hears me stirring or just a woman's sixth sense, she appears in the doorway.

She has a cup of coffee in her hand and a smile on her face.

"Good morning, sleeping beauty. I thought you were never going to wake up."

I think back to the first time she stayed the night here when she woke up before me.

"I'm not normally this heavy of a sleeper. I think you have that effect on me."

She grins. "Oh, it's my fault, huh?"

"Yep."

She walks over and sets the coffee down on the end table before kneeling down on the bed and crawling over to me. She kisses me lightly before swinging a leg over me and sits on my lower stomach.

I could get used to waking up like this.

With her hands rested on my chest, she looks up at me, her head cocked a little to the side. "What are you thinking about?"

"How do you look so beautiful this early in the morning?"

A smile appears on her face. "I don't know if that's a line or if that's actually what you're thinking."

I don't have time to respond before she leans forward and takes my lips. I'm not sure if I'll ever get used to Vic's kisses. They take me by surprise every time. I reach up and pull her down closer to me. I'm just starting to pull her shirt up when she stops me and pulls away.

"We don't have time."

"What?"

"We don't have enough time for that. We have to get to work."

"There's always time." I flip her over on the bed and find her lips. She kisses me back for a few moments before she manages to break away and turn her head to the side, which just causes me to move my kisses to her neck.

"Walt, look at the clock."

The clock?

I pull my head back to look at her for a quick second before glancing at the clock on the end table.

9:17.

"It's already after 9'clock?!"

She lets out a small laugh. "I told you we didn't have time."

Now I'm the one wishing we could both call in sick. I bow my head down and bury my face in her neck as I let out a sigh.

She laughs. "You're not gonna throw a temper tantrum, are you?"

"No," I say as I pull myself up off the bed. "But how come you didn't wake me up?"

She frowns a little. "I'm sorry, you looked so cute and peaceful I couldn't disturb you." She pauses for a second before continuing. "Plus, the sheriff deserves a full night's sleep every once in awhile."

I have to admit I do feel completely rested. "Thanks."

She sits up on the bed and looks up at me. "I'm gonna head in. You go shower and I'll see you at the office?"

"Yep."

She stands and kisses me quickly before grabbing her keys and heading out the door.

I follow her out onto the porch.

"Hey, Vic?"

She turns around, "Yeah?"

"That wasn't a line earlier. That's what I was really thinking."

She grins but doesn't say anything, and turns back and continues walking to her truck.

"What are you doing tonight?" I say a little louder to make sure she can hear me.

Without turning around she calls out, "You."

She hops in her truck and looks over at me as she starts it up. She winks at me before she drives off.

I sure do hope work goes by fast today.


	23. Chapter 23

This past week or so has really been something else. Being with Vic feels so right. I'm amazed at how comfortable I am when we're together, considering how nervous she made me before.

Even though everything between us is so perfect right now, it's still only been just over a week since we got together. I'm really happy how things are, and I want to make sure they don't move to fast. I'm not ashamed of Vic by any means, but I'm not sure I'm ready to let everyone else in on our relationship just yet.

Work probably isn't the best place to have this conversation, but I need to talk to her about this while I still have my nerve.

"Vic! Can you come in here?"

She appears a minute later in the doorway, leaning on the frame. "What's up?"

"Come in and shut the door."

She shuts the door and starts to walk towards me.

"Lock it."

A grin creeps onto her face as she takes a step backward to flip the lock before walking over to me. She comes around to where I'm sitting and pulls herself up to sit on my desk.

I haven't seen her yet this morning. She looks good today. Then again, she looks good every day.

She smiles down at me and I can't help but smile back. I'm kind of regretting what I called her in for now.

"Yes?" She fishes, I'm assuming wondering why I called her in here.

"How are you?"

"Fine, how are you?"

I nod, "Good."

I really could just stare at her all day.

"Okay, I'm glad we got that out of the way." She lets out a nervous laugh. "Is there anything else?"

"Yeah, uhh, kinda."

She stares back at me, waiting for me to continue.

"Are you going to out to the Red Pony tonight? For Henry's thing?"

She pauses slightly before answering. "I didn't remember that was tonight, but yes, I should probably make an appearance."

I nod. I know it sounds terrible of me, but I was almost hoping that she was going to say she had plans and couldn't go. This would be the first time being out in public together since we became involved.

It takes her a moment but I see the realization hit her face. "Do you not want me to go?"

"No, it's not that, of course you can go." I pause trying to figure out how to say this without hurting her feelings. "I just don't think I'm ready for us to go together."

I'm not sure why, but the next thing she does is smiles.

"It's okay, we don't have to go together."

"I'm trying, I just…"

She cuts me off. "Babe, I said it's okay."

She scoots over on the desk so she's in front of me. "I know you're not ready for everyone to know, that's okay. We can both still be in the same place without it being weird, can't we? Just treat me like your friend… or deputy, whichever you're more comfortable with. As long as you don't completely ignore me it's fine."

I let out a sigh of relief. She never ceases to surprise me.

"You know, I should be a little offended. Am I that big of a bitch normally that you'd think I'd be mad about you not being ready?"

"No, not at all."

"Good answer," she says through a smile as she slides off the desk and lowers herself onto my lap.

She begins running her fingers through my hair, teasing me. "I might have to hold out on the alcohol tonight, I don't know if I'll be able to keep my hands off of you while under the influence."

She begins to run her hand over my chest where my shirt is missing a few buttons at the top.

It's crazy to me how the simplest touch from her drives me absolutely crazy. I clear my throat, trying to swallow the lump in my throat. "Huh. Yeah we don't want that."

She leans her face in closer to mine, hovering her mouth over mine. "I don't know how I'm going to do it. I'm not sure I'll be able to resist the urge."

"Mmmm, it is a rather strong urge isn't it?" I slide my hands up her thighs to her waist.

"The strongest," she whispers in my ear making me cave.

I reach my mouth up to hers, and I feel her sigh through the kiss. She's the one to pull away after a couple of moments, leaving me wanting more.

"This might be harder than I thought."

She laughs, our foreheads touching when she does. "Buck up, cowboy."

She places a kiss on the tip of my nose before sliding off my lap and heads for the door. "I'll be at my desk if you need me," she calls as she walks away down the hallway.

Around lunch time, she pokes her head in my door. "Do you want anything to eat? I'll go grab something."

I've been on the phone all morning, but now that I think about it I haven't eaten yet today. "Sure. The usual, please."

"You got it." She starts to close the door.

"Vic?"

"Yeah?"

I look back at her for a moment before speaking. "Thanks," I say as I give her a smile.

She grins and shakes her head at me before whispering, "You're welcome, dear," a little sarcastically.

Once she shuts the door, I get back to work and make a few phone calls. I have just hung up the phone when she strolls back into my office.

She sets the bag of food on my desk and pulls up a chair to eat with me.

"Henry said to tell you hello."

I nod my head and take the burger that she's handing me.

"Hello to Henry. And thank you." I give her a smile, but what I really want to do is reach over and kiss her.

She smiles back genuinely. "You're welcome."

After lunch, Vic goes back to her desk and eventually gets called out to the scene of a car accident. I sent Ferg with her since I have some errands to run at the bank.

As I'm walking into the bank, an elderly woman named Dorothy Hudson is coming out at the same time. She stops me by putting a hand on my arm.

"Walter, I'm so glad that Cady is alright. That was a close call earlier, don't you think?"

Huh?

"Hi, Dorothy. What are you talking about?"

"Didn't that deputy of yours tell you?"

I'm really hoping that Dorothy is just old and senile. I'm starting to get nervous.

"She must have forgotten. What happened?"

"Well, I'm not exactly sure, but I was at the Red Pony for lunch today when some dirt bag came and was looking for Cady."

"Okay…"

"But that deputy of yours, that pretty girl… she must have been able to tell something was off with this guy because she stood in front of Cady like she was a lioness protecting her cub."

She turns around and stands in front of me, holding her arms out to the side, apparently imitating Vic.

"Wait, so some guy tried to attack Cady?"

"Well, I'm not sure exactly." She turns back around to face me "I was sitting in the corner so it was hard to hear, but he came in looking for Cady. She wouldn't let him at Cady, and when he charged forward at them, it looked like she broke his nose!"

I feel my eyes grow wide. She broke some guys nose over lunch and she didn't mention it?

"He was whining on the floor and she pulled him to his feet and drug him out of the bar and he never came back in."

I'm not really sure what to say back to Dorothy, I'm at a loss for words. I feel a little stupid saying that I don't know about an altercation involving my daughter and one of my deputies.

"Well… it sounds like I missed quite the show."

"It really was something!" She exclaims. "I'm surprised your deputy didn't tell you."

I smile. "Maybe she's just waiting for the right time."

She smiles back. "Maybe. Well, I better get going, Sheriff."

"Alright, you take it easy, Dorothy."

She waves at me as she turns to leave. I walk inside to take care of my business quick so I can go back and have a talk with Vic.

How could something like that happen without me knowing about it?

I wasn't even there, but I can't get the image of Vic standing in front of Cady out of my head. I've always known that she's a great cop with smart instincts, but this is more than that. She protected my daughter at a time when I wasn't around to do so.

I'm not sure how I feel right now. I want to yell at Vic and hug her at the same time. What the hell is going on?


	24. Chapter 24

_**Alright guys, here's the final chapter! I hope you enjoy it!**_

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><p>When I got back to the office after running into Dorothy at the bank, Vic was still out on a call so I couldn't ask her about the whole thing. I decided to head out early and go talk to Henry.<p>

"Hello, Walt." He says as he looks up from behind the bar.

"Henry."

"You are a little early for the party."

"I know. I wanted to ask you something."

"Okay."

"What the hell happened with Vic and Cady during lunch?"

He looks up at me, a bit surprised at my question. "I was actually wondering the same thing."

At least I'm not the only one in the dark. "What do you mean?"

"When I came out to bring Vic the food that she ordered, she and Cady were acting weird."

"Weird how?"

"Well, for starters it looked like Cady had been crying, and she kept hugging Vic."

That certainly fits with the story that Dorothy told me. Cady isn't tough like Vic is. If there was any sort of altercation, I'm sure Cady was a bit rattled.

"Did you ask them what was going on?"

"I did. They told me it was girl stuff. I did not press the issue."

"Girl stuff."

"Yes. I figured if it was something that I needed to know, Vic would have said something."

I nod my head. I think he's right about that. I shouldn't really be mad at Vic for not saying anything, I'm sure she had her reasons. If I had to guess, Cady probably asked her not to say anything.

"Plus, after Vic left Cady seemed fine. It did not seem like anything was still bothering her, so I did not think it was a big deal."

He squints his eyes at me. "Why are you asking? Do you know what happened?"

"I think so, but I need to talk to Vic to make sure."

What happened is that I think I just feel a little bit more in love with my deputy.

"I gotta go, I'll be back here later tonight."

I decide not to go and find Vic and just wait to talk to her back at the Red Pony later. Plus, this will give me time to figure out what I want to say exactly.

I'm not really mad anymore, how can I be? I've been dragging my feet on letting people find out about us as a couple, but now I'm not really sure why. Why do I care what other people think? Henry and Cady are just about the only other people whose thoughts and opinions I actually take into consideration anyway.

Whether it's about our age difference or that she's my deputy, there may be people who have a problem with our relationship, but I'm not sure that I care anymore. I'm tired of focusing on others. It's been a long year, I want to focus on me. I want to focus on Vic.

I need to talk to her.

I head home to change before going back out to the Red Pony. Once Cady gets there we find a table to sit and chat. I decide not to say anything to her about my run-in with Dorothy, I want to talk to Vic first.

Around 7 o'clock, I spot her walking towards our table.

"Hey you," I say as I stand up to walk towards her and pull her into my arms. "I'm glad you're here."

She stiffens a little bit at my touch and whispers in my ear. "Walt, people can see us."

"I know." I let go and pull a chair back so she can sit at the table. "Here sit down."

I take a seat next to her before noticing that she doesn't have a drink.

"Do you want a beer?"

She's stares back at me, a look of shock still lingering on her face. "Uhh, sure."

"Okay, I'll be right back." I get up from my chair, but before heading to the bar I lean down and kiss her, fully aware that my daughter is staring at us from across the table. I hear Cady gasp as I walk away.

Henry is waiting for me at the bar with a slight grin on his face.

"Walt." He nods at me.

"Henry." I nod back. "Could I get a beer, please?"

He reaches down and grabs a beer from the cooler and slides it across the bar. "Do my eyes fool me, or did I just see you kiss Vic?"

"Your eyes are correct."

"Good. I am glad." He smiles in approval.

Walking back to the table, I see that Vic and Cady are talking. I have a good guess what the topic is.

"Here you go," I say as I set Vic's beer down in front of her. "Hey Punk, could you give me and Vic a minute?" I look over at my daughter who looks back and forth from me to Vic.

"Sure. I'll be at the bar."

As soon as Cady walks away, Vic turns to me. "What has gotten into you? I thought you weren't ready for this yet?"

"I wasn't," I reply honestly.

Not satisfied with my response, she prods me to continue. "Okayyyy… so what changed your mind?"

"You did."

Her golden eyes squint at me in confusion.

"I changed your mind today? 10 hours ago you said you weren't ready to be seen together in public, and so far tonight you've already hugged and kissed me in front of half the town."

I figure if I don't explain myself soon I'll be seeing the terror side of Vic's personality.

"I ran into Dorothy Hudson this afternoon at the bank. She was here at the Red Pony during lunchtime, when you came to pick up food."

Her eyes widen.

"She told me there was a bit of an altercation."

I see her start to panic. "It was nothing, I swear. I-"

I hold up my hand to shush her. "Hold on, just let me finish." I move my chair closer to hers before continuing. "She told me that some dirt bag came looking for Cady, and that you protected her."

"Well, I just-" She starts, but quickly stops herself. "Sorry. Go ahead."

"She said you put yourself in front of Cady and wouldn't let him at her. And when he tried to attack you, you broke his nose."

She stays silent for once and just stares back at me, her eyes unblinking.

"You can speak now… Is that true, did you break that guy's nose?"

She nods. "Yes."

"You protected her."

"Yeah, but it was nothing. That guy was scrawny."

"But you protected her. Thank you."

"Of course. I didn't even think twice about it."

She doesn't even realize how amazing she is. She jumps to help anyone in need, but especially those she cares about.

"I know you didn't. That's the point."

She stares back at me in confusion. I'm desperate to make her understand how much I appreciate what she did for Cady. I lean forward and grab her hands resting on the table.

"Vic, you and I are so alike when it comes to police work. We assess the situation, and act quickly. But you, you're like that with everything; you don't over-think things like I do."

"I'm not sure that's a good thing. I tend to act before I think a lot of the time, it usually gets me into trouble." She frowns.

She's still not understanding what I'm getting at.

"I've been so worried about what people will say when they find out about us… I realized I wasn't seeing what was right in front of me."

Her eyes are a little wide in anticipation, wondering where I'm going with this.

"If people watch you, they'll see that you don't take any crap and you stick up for other people, and for what you believe in. That's all I can really hope for in a partner."

The look on her face slowly curls into a smile as the realization hits her. Desperate to pull her closer to me, I whisper, "Come here," as I pull her off of her chair and onto my lap.

We sit there staring at each other for a full minute before she speaks. "You're in such a good mood, but I have to ask. How on Earth are you not mad at me about this whole thing? You're not pissed that I didn't tell you about it?"

I have to laugh that that's the first thing she's commenting on. She must have been nervous about keeping it from me. "Well, I was at first. Then I figured Cady probably begged you not to tell me, and I know how hard she is to say no to."

She nods, and frowns slightly. "I didn't like agreeing to it."

"I also knew that if it was actually something serious, you would have told me, even if you had promised her you wouldn't."

She smiles. "You know me well." After pausing for a few seconds, she leans down for a kiss.

Even though I think I'm okay with people knowing about us as a couple, I'm still not a huge fan of public displays of affection. I don't have the heart to turn her down, even though just before she leaned into me I saw Cady walking towards us from the bar.

I feel her hovering behind Vic for a few seconds before she clears her throat to announce her presence. Vic spins her head around instantly to look at my smiling daughter.

"I want you two to know that I'm totally okay with this." She waves a finger at the both of us, "But, can you not make-out in public please?" Then she winks, and I feel myself blush instantly.

Vic throws her head back and laughs. "Sorry, I got caught up in the moment," she says to me as I'm assuming she notices me blushing. She slides herself off of my lap and sits back in her chair.

Still smiling, Cady continues. "I'll leave you two lovebirds alone, I hear the karaoke machine calling my name." She makes her way past us and heads up to the stage.

Vic turns back to me once Cady leaves. "So, we could have came together tonight after all."

I smile at the thought of that. What an entrance we would have made. "Yeah, but we can leave together if we want."

She picks up a beer to take a sip and stretches her legs out onto my lap at the same time. A smirk appears on her face before she responds. "Can we leave now?"

I sure would love to. I rest my hands on her legs and rub them gently. "We could, but there's no need. We have all the time in the world."

She states back at me for a few moments, and I swear even her eyes are smiling. "I like the sound of that."

We spend the rest of the night laughing and drinking. Two normal people without a care in the world. Henry has to give us a ride back to the cabin at the end of the night; I guess we acted a little too carefree.

It's the middle of the night by the time we make it to bed, when she purposely lays down on my side.

"That's my side, remember?" I smile down at her.

"I remember." She says as she grins up at me. "Can't we share?"

She lifts up the covers, allowing me room to climb in after her. She doesn't budge, so I lower myself gently on top of her.

"You're a stubborn little thing, you know that?"

She smiles from ear to ear and barely replies with an "uh huh" before her lips touch mine.

I don't know why but I pull back after a few moments and just stare down at her. She cocks her head to the side and brings a hand up to my face, running her thumb on my lower lip.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing. Absolutely nothing." I gaze back at her golden eyes for another moment before leaning down to kiss her tenderly.

For the first time in a very long time, absolutely nothing is wrong in my life. I feel like a normal man again.

A normal man in love.

* * *

><p><strong><em>The end! :) Soooooo, what did you guys think? I added a little bit more after where Vic's story ended, I hope it fits! It was so fun writing from Walt's perspective, and I loved adding in a few scenes that weren't in Vic's. The scenes with Cady and Ruby are some of my favorites! Thank you guys all so much for reading and for taking the time to review, I really appreciate it! I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday! MERRY CHRISTMAS! #LongLiveLongmire<em>**


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